In brief
During late‑night engagements in Bittæ, Borno State, and Buni Yadi, Yobe State, Nigerian soldiers thwarted two ISWAP-led attacks, killing 48 fighters, capturing 52 guns, and sustaining minimal casualties. A spokesperson for the joint task force confirmed the operation and highlighted the broader effort to degrade the group’s operational capacity.
In the early hours of October 31, Nigerian troops opposed two separate assaults carried out by Islamists in the northeastern states of Borno and Yobe, eliminating 48 suspected members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and seizing 52 firearms.
Operation Hadin Kai’s joint task force, operating under the command of the Nigerian Army’s Northeast Command, was the main force engaged in the standoff. Army spokesperson Mohammed Goni released a statement confirming the victory and detailing the engagement timeline.
At Bittæ, a community within Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, the ISWAP fighters appeared late Thursday night. Using intelligence‑guided air support, the Nigerian soldiers repelled the incursion, preventing the insurgents from breaching their compound.
The second confrontation occurred in Buni Yadi, Yobe State, where the militants had assembled a large force to attack the military position from late Thursday into early Friday. The Nigerian troops launched a counter‑offensive that drove the fighters back and culminated in the deaths of 48 insurgents.
In the Buni Yadi clash, the Nigerian forces reported one casualty among their ranks—a soldier killed in action—while two soldiers sustained wounds that required evacuation to a medical facility.
During the counter‑offensive, troops captured 52 firearms belonging to the ISWAP fighters. The seized weapons are under review by the Armed Forces’ logistics division for evidence and disposal.
Mohammed Goni said the operation “underscores the Nigerian military’s resolve to degrade ISWAP’s operational capabilities and weaken its ability to recruit, spread propaganda, and coordinate attacks.” He also noted that the joint task force would continue to conduct operations to prevent the insurgents from reinforcing each other.
ISWAP has coordinated with Boko Haram in pursuit of an Islamist state in northeastern Nigeria and has extended its attacks into neighboring Lake Chad Basin nations. Their recent activities have drawn the full attention of the Nigerian Armed Forces, which have intensified counter‑terrorism operations across the region.
Both the Xinhua news outlet and the Nigerian daily Punch reported matching casualty figures, confirming the 48‑person kill count and the seizure of 52 firearms. No other claims or contradictory reports have emerged from the listed sources.
