Troops and Jet Fighters Wipe Out 60 ISWAP Terrorists in Failed Midnight Raid Involving Armed Drones

A major tactical offensive by the Nigerian military has dealt a devastating blow to insurgent networks in the North-East after frontline troops successfully repelled a highly sophisticated, multi-pronged attack by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

The high-intensity battle broke out shortly after midnight in the remote border town of Mallam Fatori, a strategic outpost in northern Borno State situated near the Niger Republic border. Heavily armed jihadist fighters, moving under the cover of total darkness, attempted a surprise breach of the 68 Battalion Main Defensive Area in a bid to overrun the base and seize heavy military assets.

However, the military’s advanced early-warning radar and ground intelligence networks picked up the movement well before the invaders could strike. Alert infantrymen immediately opened fire, pinning the insurgents down in the open fields. Sensing the scale of the threat, the ground command immediately called in tactical air support, bringing in Nigerian Air Force fighter jets that pounded the fleeing fighters from above.

The encounter revealed a worrying upgrade in the terrorists’ combat playbook. According to defense headquarters, the jihadists did not just rely on standard guerrilla foot tactics; their ground assault was actively supported by a small fleet of armed commercial drones configured to scout troop positions and drop improvised explosives on defensive trenches. Despite the high-tech aerial threat, the combined firepower of the ground troops and the air component completely neutralized the offensive, leaving over 60 terrorist fighters dead on the battlefield, including several notorious field commanders.

“Our frontline troops have demonstrated unmatched resilience and exceptional tactical superiority in locking down our border perimeters,” a senior operational commander attached to the Theatre Command in Maiduguri shared. “The enemy thought they could exploit the cover of midnight and use imported drone technology to catch our men off guard. Instead, they walked directly into a well-coordinated death trap. This massive defeat sends a clear signal that our defensive lines are completely impenetrable.”

The successful defense of Mallam Fatori comes at a time of heightened security surveillance across Borno State, following desperate suicide bombings in the state capital of Maiduguri. Top defense chiefs, who were visiting the region to review frontline readiness, praised the 68 Battalion for preventing what could have been a catastrophic breach of regional stability.

To permanently consolidate these battlefield gains, the military is rapidly integrating new international partnerships. The victory coincides with the arrival of a specialized contingent of 200 United States military personnel, deployed to provide deep-cover technical assistance, advanced logistics training, and anti-drone counter-measures to Nigerian forces. With modern technology and raw combat grit now aligning on the frontline, Operation Hadin Kai is aggressively shifting from defensive holding actions to a total, relentless campaign to completely erase the remnants of ISWAP across the Lake Chad basin.