ISWAP death toll rises to 75 after devastating defeat in Malam Fatori

By: Zagazola Makama

The death toll of terrorists neutralised during a failed infiltration attempt on troops’ position in Malam Fatori, Abadam Local Government Area of Borno, has risen to 75, in what security analysts describe as one of the most decisive recent blows against the Islamic State West Africa Province.

Zagazola report that the Initial reports had put the number of insurgents killed at 61, following a coordinated response by troops of Operation Hadin Kai, supported by the Nigerian Air Force.

However, updated battlefield assessments and mop-up operations indicate that at least 75 fighters were neutralised, with several others believed to have escaped with severe injuries.

The attack, which occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, saw ISWAP fighters advancing on foot toward the 68 Battalion location, reportedly deploying armed drones in an attempt to breach defensive lines. The infiltration, launched from the Duguri axis toward the Bravo Company frontage, was swiftly detected and repelled.

Military sources said the success of the operation was anchored on superior coordination between air and ground forces, illustrating the growing effectiveness of joint-force synergy in counter-insurgency operations in the North-East.

Four precision air interdiction strikes were conducted on identified terrorist withdrawal routes effectively degrading their combat capability and disrupting their manoeuvre.

The integration of air power ensured that the insurgents were fixed in position and subjected to sustained bombardment, forcing a chaotic withdrawal toward the Arege axis.\

Further compounding the losses of the terrorists group was the intervention of allied air assets from the Niger Republic, which carried out additional strike passes on fleeing terrorists.Although a full battle damage assessment of those strikes is still ongoing, security sources believe the combined firepower significantly increased the casualty figures.

In addition to the high number of fatalities, troops reportedly recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition from the battlefield, further weakening the operational capacity of the group in the Lake Chad region.

On the side of government forces, four soldiers sustained minor injuries and have since been stabilised.