Sani said, “Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) operating under Operation DESERT SANITY V delivered a decisive blow to BH/ISWAP terrorists along the Sambisa and Mandara Mountains axis on 22 January 2026. “The insurgents attempted a well-planned ambush with Roadside Improvised Explosive Devices (RSIED) and heavy gunfire, but impressively, troops under Sector 1 responded with superior firepower, neutralising 10 terrorists, including 2 senior commanders identified as Basulhu and Ubaida,” he noted. “Troops’ morale and combat efficiency remain high, and operations would be sustained across the entire North East region,” it assured. The Media Information Officer, Joint Task Force Northeast Operation Hadin Kai, Lt Col Sani Uba, who disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, said many terrorists were neutralised. “In the course of this attack, some gallant soldiers and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force paid the supreme price, while others sustained injuries,” he said.

Source: Punch January 22, 2026 21:30 UTC