At least one fighter belonging to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has been captured alive, while a top commander identified as Abu Umar Bundi Munzir was neutralised alongside 24 other insurgents during a military operation in Borno State.
The development followed a failed coordinated attack by ISWAP elements on Kukareta community, where troops of Operation Hadin Kai successfully repelled the assault after an intense gun battle that lasted for several hours in the early hours of Thursday.
According to military authorities, the insurgents had launched the attack shortly after midnight in a bid to overrun the area but were met with sustained resistance from troops under Sector 2, forcing them into a chaotic retreat.
During the confrontation, the ISWAP commander, Abu Umar Bundi Munzir, was among those killed, with the total number of neutralised fighters put at 25. One insurgent was captured alive, providing potential intelligence value for ongoing counter-insurgency operations.
Troops also recovered a significant cache of weapons and ammunition from the battlefield, including multiple AK-47 rifles, machine guns, rocket-propelled grenade tubes, mortar equipment, and large quantities of ammunition, underscoring the scale of the planned movement.
Military sources disclosed that two soldiers sustained gunshot wounds during the encounter but have since been stabilised, while an armoured vehicle was damaged in the firefight.
The theatre commander of Operation Hadin Kai described the operation as a major success, noting that follow-up exploitation efforts are ongoing to track fleeing insurgents and recover additional equipment abandoned along their withdrawal routes.
The latest development highlights continued military pressure on ISWAP fighters in Nigeria’s North-East, as security forces intensify operations aimed at degrading the group’s operational capacity and denying it territorial footholds.
