Boko Haram fighters and members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have launched attacks on communities and military formations in Borno and Yobe states.

The attacks took place simultaneously between midnight and early hours of Thursday, in Mafa, Dikwa, Marte, Ajiri in Borno, and Katarko town in Yobe State.

Last Friday, the terrorists laid an ambush on troops, who went on a clearance operation and killed seven soldiers, including the commanding officer of 202 Tank Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel A.S Paiko.

On Thursday, local sources told Daily Trust that the insurgents attacked a military check point at Mafa, where travelers usually wait for the gate to be opened for them to continue with their journey.

Also, the insurgents were said to have attacked the military barrack in the town and looted arms and ammunition.

“They looted arms and ammunition and the newly procured operation motorcycles that we use in bushes. The attackers were many,” said one of the security sources.

It remains unclear if there were casualties on the side of the military, but a top security source confirmed the killing of many terrorists during the encounter.

“They came in large numbers and engaged our men intensely but many of them were neutralised,” he said.

A local source also said that no civilian life was lost, but that the assailants looted foodstuff and other commodities and burnt down vehicles.

“It’s a coordinated attack which began after 11pm on Wednesday. They shot sporadically at the checkpoint where commuters usually stop before proceeding with their journey. The goods they looted were to be transported to Gamboru and other places. I’m not aware of any lives lost. Trucks loaded with goods were set ablaze,” he said.

He said the terrorists came in large numbers, heavily armed with weapons, four gun trucks, and riding on over 100 motorcycles.

In Dikwa, our correspondent gathered that insurgents also dislodged the military from their location, looted arms and ammunition and burnt down operational vehicles.

“It’s not only the military vehicle that they burnt, they set ablaze civilians’ cars in the town,” one of our local sources revealed. 

However, in Gajibo, both security personnel and local sources said the military killed many of the terrorists.

“All the arms and bodies you saw on display are mostly from the success recorded in Gajibo,” a security personnel said. 

He said the recent attacks signalled some level of coordination between Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists in the border areas.

But, information on the Ajiri community is still sketchy due to poor network in the area.

Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum alongside the state commissioner of police, CP Naziru Abdulmajid and other security personnel visited Mafa and Dikwa Local Government Areas yesterday to assess level of damage.

Why some operations turn deadly – Survivor

One of the security sources interviewed by our correspondent in Dikwa and Mafa, alleged that the delayed response of air components during operation usually puts them in difficult situations.

He also pointed to laxity on the side of Cameroonian forces that are working under the multinational taskforce operation at the border communities in Nigeria.

“You know, even before they were engaged in their country’s election, which obviously must deplete the strength of troops they have on ground, the terrorists usually struck Nigerian communities and crossed into Cameroon,” he said.

Yobe

In Katarko, Yobe State, one of the sources, simply identified as Goni, said the assailants came in large numbers but they were repelled by the military.

“They did not succeed here, the troops really tried. The insurgents were repelled and 17 of them were killed during the encounter,” he said.

He added that since the community was resettled some years ago, they have lived peacefully until the current attack.

“Since we relocated here from the IDP camp, we even forgot that attacks are happening. We only hear about it in neighboring towns. We thank the military for their efforts and pray that they sustain the tempo,” he said.

Another security personnel said the latest attacks, which add to a string of assaults in recent days, was the usual tactics by the Boko Haram members to loot arms from the military ahead of dry season.

“You know, those of us who have been in the theater for over a decade can understand this. It is not about the troops being weak. The insurgents fight during the rainy season when elephants grasses take over the bushes, and bad roads hinder movement of  military equipment, because, once the dry season sets in, the troops will go after them.

“Now, they would gather arms and ammunition, build super and small camps ahead of the military operations,” he said.

We killed 50, injured 70 terrorists – Military

Troops of the Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), said they  killed more than 50 terrorists, injured 70 others and repelled the coordinated attacks on military locations and communities in Borno and Yobe states.

Lt.-Col. Sani Uba, the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force North East, OPHK, in a statement in Maiduguri, said the simultaneous attacks occurred between midnight and 0400 hours on Thursday.

“The terrorists launched coordinated assaults on troops’ positions in Dikwa, Mafa, Gajibo, and Katarko, situated in Sector 1(Borno State) and Sector 2 (Yobe State) respectively. 

“In all instances, troops stood firm, fought gallantly and professionally repelled the attacks, dealing the terrorists a heavy decisive and bloody blow”, he said.

He said the coordinated offensive by the ground troops was supported by the air component of the OPHK, leading to the precision strikes on the terrorists.

“The combined ground and air efforts resulted in the neutralisation of over 50 terrorists across all the locations. 

“Additionally, over 70 of the injured miscreants are still being pursued by ground troops supported by the air component in close coordination,” he added.

According to the statement, the troops also recovered 38 AK-47 rifles, seven PKT machine guns, five RPG tubes, two GPMGs and hand grenades along with thousands of assorted belted and loose rounds of different calibers.

“Intelligence further revealed that the terrorists who attacked Dikwa and Gajibo maneuvered from the Cameroon axis, while those that attacked Katarko emerged from the Timbuktu Triangle, a known terrorist enclave.

“Some of the gallant troops were wounded in action but are in stable condition. Some vehicles and buildings were also gutted by fire from the terrorists armed drones and RPG fire during the battle, especially in Mafa and Dikwa where a part of the defences were momentarily breached. 

“The Military High Command has commended the gallantry, doggedness and renewed charge of the troops. Their steadfast performance once again reaffirms the military’s unwavering resolve and capacity to defend the nation’s territorial integrity against all threats, especially with the introduction of more boots and critical combat enablers into the Theatre,” he said.

Zulum speaks

Recently, the Borno State governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum,  pleaded with the Nigerian military to be more committed in the fight  against insurgency.

The governor made the plea when he toured some border towns around Cameroon: Kirawa and Banki in Gwoza and Bama Local Government Areas.

“What matters is not the number of soldiers we need to keep here but how committed they are to fight back the terrorists during military operations.

“Above all, we need military operations. For sometime now, military operations have not been conducted in Borno State and that has been instrumental to the attacks we have been witnessing; the renewed insurgence attacks.

“We are pleading with the federal government, and the Chief of Defense Staff to release funds and procure equipment so that the military operations would begin since the rainy season is about to be over.

“But you have to take note of this very important thing, which is continuing military operations. We need not to just embark on operations after a few months, we slow down or withdraw,” he said. 

Zulum, who stressed the need for the military to sustain operations throughout, said the United Nations resolution clearly states that military operations have to be followed by stabilisation, recovery, reconstruction and resettlement. 

“That means, whenever we capture a certain place, we have to put in place mechanisms for all these things, otherwise, all the gains may be futile.

“But my only plea to the federal government as well as the  Nigerian army military is, let us do everything possible to ensure that we sustain the peace that we have achieved,” he said.

Nigeria is winning the war – Expert

A security expert, who is a former Director with the Department of State Service (DSS), Barrister Mike Ejiofor, described what is happening in the North East theatre, especially Yobe and Borno, as encouraging outcomes.

He said with the way things are going, the security operatives in Nigeria are actually winning the war, even when there are sporadic and isolated attacks by the terrorists.

“With time, I believe Nigeria shall overcome all those challenges but it doesn’t mean that we should leave all the challenges to the security operatives.

“The security operatives need the support and cooperation of the public, because these people don’t operate from the moon, they operate within the society.  We must know how to work with the security forces to end the problem,” he said.

On how the Boko Haram insurgents are taking advantage of the porous border of Nigeria with its neighbors to launch attacks, Ejiofor said, Nigeria needs to seriously involve the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) to identify and man those areas that are prone to attacks. 

“Also, our citizens in those border communities should fully cooperate in giving useful information to the security personnel in order to carry out effective operations”, he said.

Timeline of attacks

On 10th August, 2025, Boko Haram insurgents attacked Kirawa town in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, killing three soldiers and abducting a female schoolgirl, Aishatu Aja.

The assault, which took place at night, forced residents to flee across the border into the neighboring Cameroon.

Police spokesperson for the Borno State Command, ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso, confirmed the attack.

On 5th April, 2025, Boko Haram terrorists attacked Izge village, Gwoza LGA, killing a captain and a corporal while losing many of their fighters.

Executive Chairman of Gwoza Local Council, Abba Kawu Idrissa Timta, confirmed the incident.

On 12th May, 2025, the Boko Haram terrorists attacked the military base in Marte, which left an unspecified number of soldiers killed, and many missing.

Also, barely 24 hours after, on 13th May, 2025, the Boko Haram terrorists launched another coordinated attack on three military bases in Rann, Gajiram and Dikwa in Borno State, killing at least four soldiers. The terror group also lost many fighters in the attack.

On September 6th, 2025,  Boko Haram attacked Darul Jamal in Bama LGA and killed 63 people, injured many and burnt down several houses.

On 9th October, 2025, a large number of Boko Haram insurgents attacked a military base, along Maiduguri- Damaturu highway in Ngamdu, Kaga LGA of Borno State.

Soldiers were feared killed in that attack which left motorists and commercial drivers stranded for hours.

Credit: Daily Trust