Combatants of the Islamic State West Africa Province, ISWAP, allegedly sprinted in chaos on Friday after forces of Operation Hadin Kai, aided by the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, successfully thwarted an attempted assault on a military installation in Banki, Bama Local Government Area of Borno.
This information was shared in a post on X by counter-insurgency and security specialist in the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama.
As per Makama, intelligence sources revealed that the insurgents initiated the attack in the pre-dawn hours of Friday, advancing in substantial numbers in a bid to overrun the military unit.
He mentioned that the troops promptly confronted the militants in an intense gunfight, effectively countering the offensive and preventing the insurgents from breaching the base.
According to those sources, while the gunfire exchange continued, the Nigerian Air Force dispatched an aircraft to render aerial support to the land forces.
“Upon noticing the incoming aircraft, the militants fled and were observed rushing in confusion into adjacent vegetation to evade the overwhelming firepower of the troops and the aerial component,” one of the sources noted.
The sources further indicated that the attempted assault was effectively thwarted, forcing the insurgents to retreat from the operation.
There were no immediate indications of casualties as security forces have initiated assessment and clearance activities in the vicinity.
Banki, a border town adjacent to Cameroon in Bama LGA, continues to be one of the pivotal frontline positions in the ongoing counter-insurgency efforts in Borno.
