Troops foil Boko Haram, ISWAP attack on naval base, kill many

In a decisive victory against terrorism, troops of Operation Hadin Kai successfully repelled a coordinated assault by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters on a naval base situated at Fish Dam, Lake Chad, Borno State.

The attack occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, around 2:00 a.m., when the insurgents attempted to storm the base in what military sources described as a deliberate attempt to sabotage critical infrastructure.

According to reports, the terrorists targeted newly acquired Swamp Bogeys—heavy-duty amphibious equipment recently provided by the Borno State Government to aid the clearing of water channels and enhance mobility in the Lake Chad area.

According to a post on the Nigerian Army’s official X handle, “personnel of the Naval Base engaged the terrorists in a firefight that lasted over two hours”.

Reinforcement was quickly deployed from Baga, enabling the troops to hold their ground and inflict heavy losses on the attackers.

“Before the terrorists retreated, having failed to gain access to the Swamp Boggeys, scores were neutralized and IED materials recovered,” the Army said.

THE WHISTLER gathered that the IED recovered was fabricated mortar bomb-type.

The statement added: “Minimal incursion was made leading to the destruction of an ambulance and two other vehicles while some personnel were wounded in action.

“The air component platforms are currently conducting follow-on pursuit exploitation on the waterways to further decimate the terrorists.”

Lake Chad Security Analyst and Counter-Insurgency Expert, Zagazola Makama, confirmed the scale of the confrontation and the response of the military, stating that “Although the base resisted the incursion, minimal damage was recorded while some personnel sustained injuries during the engagement.”