DHQ: Troops kill 136 terrorists, arrest 114 others in Northeast

By Anan Geolengs

The Nigeria Military said its troops killed
136 terrorists and arrested 114 suspects in April.

Speaking on Thursday while giving update on the military operations in the country, the Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Micheal Onoja, added that the troops also rescued 18 kidnapped victims, and facilitated the surrender of 9 insurgents and their families.

He said the operations took place against Boko Haram (BH), the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and Jamā’at Ahlis Sunnah Liddda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) elements across Adamawa, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe States,

“Significantly, on 1 April 2026, eight terrorists were neutralised in a coordinated ambush at the Gadangari axis, Bama LGA of Borno State, with no casualties recorded on the troops’ side. Clearance operations at the Dajin Madam and Kumbodoro Forests dismantled multiple terrorist camps and led to the capture of a deputy ring leader and his wife.

“On 22 April 2026, nine captives including women and children who had escaped from terrorist captivity in the Mandara Mountains were rescued by troops, who subsequently repelled a determined enemy counterattack launched to recapture them. In the most decisive engagement of the period, troops at Kukareta in Damaturu LGA, Yobe State, forewarned by actionable intelligence, repelled a massive coordinated assault on 23 April 2026, neutralized 21 terrorists and recovered 12 AK-47 rifles, one GPMG, one PKT machine gun, one RPG tube, one 60mm mortar, and 143 rounds of ammunition.”
 
He added that the operations continued with sustained intensity into the final days of April. “A follow-up exploitation along the terrorists’ withdrawal route at Kukareta on 24 April 2026 uncovered two additional corpses of insurgents neutralised during the earlier engagement, along with five AK-47 magazines and a camel bag water bottle/container.

“On 25 April 2026, troops neutralized one terrorist and recovered one AK-47 rifle during an ambush at Kaffin Hausa in Madagali LGA of Adamawa State. In the early hours of 26 April 2026, a night ambush at a terrorist crossing point in Gujba LGA of Yobe State based on credible intelligence from tracking insurgent movements resulted in the neutralization of two additional terrorists and the recovery of one AK-47 rifle, three magazines, 16 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition, and one hand grenade. “Also on 26 April 2026, troops deployed in Buratai LGA of Borno State sighted terrorists on camera trying to infiltrate the defensive location, troops engaged the terrorists and neutralized them.

“On 28 April 2026, troops rescued an abducted woman in Gwoza LGA, Borno State, who escaped captivity in the Mandara Mountains following artillery bombardments, while separate clearance operations by troops in Gaidam neutralized five terrorists and recovered weapons, as an airstrike on a terrorist base in Guduf further destroyed structures and eliminated about 20 insurgents. “