Security forces battling the Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) insurgency recorded fresh gains this week, eliminating at least seven fighters in separate encounters around Rann and Damboa, Borno State, ThePulseInfo has learnt.
According to counter-insurgency analyst Zagazola Makama, the first clash erupted on Wednesday along the Gamboru–Ngala supply route near Rann. Soldiers from 3 Battalion, supported by Hybrid Forces and Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) members, intercepted a group of militants trying to loot food from a broken-down vehicle. Alert troops opened fire, killing six gunmen on the spot and seizing two AK-47 rifles with loaded magazines—one containing four rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, the other six.
Hours later, troops from Forward Operating Base Molai acted on actionable intelligence and set up an ambush on the outskirts of Komala village, along the Maiduguri–Damboa highway. The insurgents, believed to be heading toward Sambisa Forest, walked into the kill-zone. One fighter was neutralised, while several motorcycles and components for improvised explosive devices—reportedly earmarked for burial along the road—were recovered.
Military sources described the twin operations as part of a broader push to deny Boko Haram and ISWAP freedom of movement across the theatre, disrupt their logistics, and keep pressure on pockets of fighters scattered around Borno’s hinterland.
Photographs released by Makama show the dead insurgents, the captured rifles, burnt-out motorcycles and sacks of IED materials strewn across the sandy terrain—a stark reminder of the relentless cat-and-mouse war still unfolding in Nigeria’s North-East.
Defence officials say clearance patrols and ambushes will continue “around the clock” to protect supply routes and rural communities, urging residents to report suspicious activity to nearby security posts as the dry-season fighting intensifies.
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