Troops of Operation SAVANNAH SHIELD have successfully repelled an attack by suspected terrorists on their position at Dekara in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.

The attack took place at about 8:24 a.m. on Sunday, 23 August 2026. Suspected terrorists opened fire on the troops who had been deployed in the area.

The soldiers responded immediately and forced the attackers to abandon the assault and withdraw into the surrounding forest.

Following the engagement, troops carried out a thorough search of the immediate surroundings. They recovered one AK-47 rifle loaded with four rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition.

Security personnel also found six motorcycles, 49 mobile phones, nine batteries and 10 memory cards that the fleeing group had left behind.

Drone surveillance later showed two suspected injured terrorists being moved on motorcycles in the direction of the Kainji Lake National Park. The park, which lies close to the Nigeria-Benin Republic border, has been identified as a difficult terrain often used by criminal elements as a movement corridor.

The troops had earlier been positioned in Dekara as a blocking force ahead of a planned clearance operation inside the forest. No casualties were recorded on the side of the security forces during the encounter.

Operations in the area are continuing with the aim of denying terrorists freedom of movement and securing the communities around the park.