Troops of Operation Hadin Kai successfully repelled a pre-dawn attack by Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists on the Naval Base at Lake Chad Fish Dam, killing scores of insurgents during a fierce gun battle.
The attack occurred around 2 a.m. on Wednesday, according to a statement released by the Nigerian Army on its official X handle.
The terrorists, the Army said, had attempted to destroy swamp bogeys recently procured by the Borno State Government to aid in clearing waterways across the Lake Chad region.
However, the attempt was met with stiff resistance by soldiers stationed at the naval base, with reinforcement quickly arriving from Baga. The confrontation lasted more than two hours before the terrorists retreated.
“In a well-coordinated joint land, maritime and air operations, troops of Operation Hadin Kai neutralised scores of Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists that attempted to infiltrate the Naval Base Lake Chad in Fish Dam during the early hours of today,” the statement read.
“The terrorists commenced their infiltration attack at about 2 AM to destroy the newly acquired Swamp Boggeys by the Borno State Government for waterways clearance in the Lake Chad but was fiercely resisted by personnel of the Naval Base Lake Chad with reinforcement from Baga in a firefight that lasted for over 2 hours before the terrorists retreated having failed to gain access to the Swamp Boggeys while scores were neutralised and IED materials recovered,” it added.
Although troops succeeded in foiling the attack, there was a limited breach. The military confirmed that an ambulance and two other vehicles were destroyed, and some personnel sustained injuries.
“Minimal incursion was made, leading to the destruction of an ambulance and 2 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,” the statement further noted.
The military assured that operations are ongoing to track and eliminate fleeing insurgents in the area.
