The Nigerian military has announced another significant success in its ongoing efforts to combat terrorism in the North East region.
Under Operation DESERT SANITY IV, troops from Sector 1 of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), alongside the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), crushed nine members of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) in an operation in Yanaga Ari, Mafa Local Government Area of Borno State, on November 12, 2025.
According to a statement by Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Media Information Officer of OPHK, the troops recovered five AK 47 rifles, several rounds of ammunition, and other logistics items from the scene.
In another major breakthrough, troops from Sector 2 foiled a mass abduction of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members along the Buratai-Kamuya Road in Biu Local Government Area.
Seventy-four corps members, 36 males and 38 females, were rescued after their vehicles broke down at night near a notorious kidnapping spot while traveling to Hawul for a Christian evangelism mission.
A military patrol team, alerted by a closed-circuit television (CCTV) system, detected suspicious movement involving three buses at the location and swiftly deployed to the scene to rescue the NYSC members.
The rescued corps members are currently being accommodated at the Tukur Yusuf Buratai Institute pending further arrangements for their safe movement.
The Military High Command praised the troops for their “impressive gallantry and proactiveness” and urged continued vigilance in the quest to restore peace across the North East.
The statement also called on the public to continue supporting the Armed Forces with timely and credible information to aid ongoing operations aimed at eradicating terrorism and criminality in the region.