Troops in Yobe State repelled a coordinated attack by ISWAP insurgents on the 27 Brigade headquarters and Buni Gari Checkpoint in the early hours of Thursday, May 8, 2026. The assault began around 2 a.m. when terrorists advanced from the western flank, later reinforced from the southern axis through Ganinga Junction and the south-western corridor. Military forces maintained defensive positions and responded with heavy firepower and tactical coordination, preventing any breach of the base.
A statement from Sani Uba, Media Information Officer of Operation HADIN KAI, described the counteroffensive as "devastating," with troops using indirect fire systems and offensive-defensive combat tactics to dismantle the attackers' advances. The Air Component Command conducted sustained Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance missions, enabling real-time tracking of fleeing insurgents. Nigerian Air Force platforms carried out precision air interdiction strikes, killing 20 additional terrorists during pursuit operations.
Preliminary battlefield exploitation yielded 10 terrorist corpses near the military base. Intelligence reports confirmed the discovery of more than 20 other bodies in bushes along withdrawal routes through Gashua, Azare, and Kamuya. Troops recovered eight AK-47 rifles, two general-purpose machine guns, two rocket-propelled grenade tubes, five RPG bombs, three RPG chargers, two boxes of 7.62mm ammunition, two fully loaded magazines, nine bandoliers of ammunition, and three improvised explosive device canisters.
Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles and gun trucks sustained minimal damage during the engagement. Wounded military personnel are receiving medical treatment and are in stable condition. Troops, supported by volunteer forces, have launched follow-up operations to track fleeing insurgents and prevent regrouping.
The military claims no breach occurred during the ISWAP attack, yet over 50 terrorists had to be killed to repel the assault, raising questions about the security of the base before the engagement. The recovery of more than 20 bodies in distant bushes suggests the attackers penetrated deep into the operational zone before being stopped. If troops were fully in control, it is unclear how insurgents advanced from multiple directions to the immediate vicinity of the headquarters. The volume of recovered weapons indicates prior intelligence failure to intercept such a large cache near a strategic military post.
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