Troops of the Nigerian military’s Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, have killed 48 suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters during separate operations in Borno and Yobe states.

The operations were carried out between the night of October 29 and the early hours of October 30, following attacks on military positions in Bitta, Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, and the North East Theatre Training School in Buni Yadi, Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State.

The Acting Media Information Officer of Operation Hadin Kai, Captain Mohammed Goni, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Friday.

Goni said troops successfully repelled an attempted terrorist assault on their position in Bitta through a coordinated response involving ground forces and air support.

He explained that the military’s counter-operation overwhelmed the attackers, disrupted their advance and inflicted heavy casualties.

In a separate engagement, troops launched a counter-offensive against a large number of ISWAP fighters who attacked the North East Theatre Training School in Buni Yadi.

The military said the confrontation lasted approximately five hours and involved the deployment of intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance capabilities, alongside air and ground forces.

According to Goni, the operation resulted in the killing of 48 suspected terrorists and the recovery of a significant quantity of weapons and ammunition.

Items recovered included 42 AK-47 rifles, five PKT machine guns, four General Purpose Machine Guns, one 60mm mortar, 105 AK-47 magazines and two video cameras.

The recovered ammunition comprised 30 rounds of 12.7mm armour-piercing incendiary ammunition, 2,738 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 223 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition and 2,054 rounds of PKT ammunition.

However, the military confirmed that one soldier lost his life during the engagements, while two others sustained minor injuries and were receiving medical attention.

Despite the casualties, Goni said the troops remained in high spirits and continued operations aimed at dismantling terrorist networks and restoring security across the North-East.

He described the outcome as a major setback for the insurgents, noting that the military would sustain its offensive operations to prevent terrorist groups from regrouping and launching further attacks.