The Nigerian Army Troops of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) have successfully repelled a coordinated pre-dawn attack by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters on Forward Operating Base (FOB) Kangar in Mallamfatori, Borno State.
The attack occurred at about 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday, during which the terrorists deployed armed drones, mortar fire, and swift ground manoeuvres in an attempt to overwhelm the military base positioned near the Lake Chad perimeter.
Security sources revealed that troops, supported by members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), absorbed the initial assault, regrouped, and launched a decisive counteroffensive. Reinforcement teams arriving from a main battalion helped to shift the momentum against the attackers.
A senior commander at the frontline described the confrontation as “brief, intense, and successful,” noting that morale remained high throughout the engagement.
The tide further turned when Nigerien ground-attack assets under the MNJTF provided close air support, striking terrorist firing locations and forcing the insurgents into a disorganised retreat towards the Tumbun waterways.
A subsequent exploitation of the battlefield confirmed six terrorists neutralised. The troops also recovered a cache of arms and explosives including: 5 AK-47 rifles; 8 AK-47 magazines; 5 RPG bombs; 4 armed drone bombs and 5 × 36 hand grenades.
Additional insurgents were seen being evacuated by their fleeing comrades, indicating higher undisclosed casualties on the enemy side.
As the terrorists attempted to regroup deeper into the Tumbuns, Nigerien Air Force platforms conducted further strikes on clustered movements detected through surveillance feeds, reportedly neutralising more fighters.
Despite ISWAP’s deployment of armed drones — a growing concern and signal of expanding terrorist capabilities — the troops held their ground firmly. Several soldiers and CJTF personnel sustained injuries in the initial barrage but were promptly evacuated for treatment. All are said to be in stable condition.
Mallamfatori and the Lake Chad islands remain critical flashpoints in the ongoing counter-terrorism push, given their importance to insurgent logistics, smuggling routes, and cross-border mobility.
However, Tuesday’s successful defence underscores what military sources describe as shrinking operational space for ISWAP in the border region.
“We are here to hold this ground. No retreat,” a soldier stated confidently after the attack.
Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions remain active in the general area to detect and eliminate any residual threats as follow-on operations continue.
By PRNigeria
