Operation HADIN KAI Troops Demolish ISWAP Detention Facilities in Timbuktu Triangle

T Troops of the Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), have recorded a major operational success with the capture and destruction of three detention facilities operated by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists deep within the Timbuktu Triangle in Gujba Local Government Area. The operation, carried out over the past two weeks, represents a significant penetration into long-held terrorist enclaves in the North East.

The military offensive was executed under Operation Desert Sanity V, following sustained, intelligence-driven pressure that forced the terrorists to abandon key infrastructure within their forest strongholds. Security sources said the discovery and destruction of the facilities demonstrate the expanding reach and effectiveness of ongoing counter-insurgency operations by troops of Operation HADIN KAI across the theatre.

Findings from the operation revealed that the detention camps, concealed across the Timbuktu Triangle stretching between Borno and Yobe states, had the capacity to hold up to 300 detainees. The offensive also led to the escape of more than 70 captives who had been held by ISWAP, many of whom later resurfaced in communities such as Goniri, Buratai and Mandaragirau.

One of the escapees, Malam Jidda Ba Jidda, a native of Kufi village near Buratai in Biu Local Government Area, said he regained his freedom during a gun battle between terrorists and advancing troops. “I was abducted on December 22, 2025, and escaped when the terrorists engaged the soldiers in a fierce gun duel,” he said.

The Army disclosed that ISWAP suffered significant losses during the encounters, with no fewer than 32 fighters neutralised, including two Qaids and three Munzirs, while several others sustained serious injuries. After a thorough clearance operation, the three detention facilities were completely demolished to deny the terrorists any opportunity to reuse the sites.

Speaking on the development, the Media Information Officer of Operation HADIN KAI, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, described the operation as a major blow to ISWAP’s operational capability. “The destruction of these camps weakens the terrorists’ internal control system, disrupts their ransom-driven activities, and further limits their freedom of action,” he said, adding that the Armed Forces remain resolute in sustaining pressure on terrorist elements to restore lasting peace and security in the North East.