Troops Kill Two Suspected ISWAP Fighters in Ambush Near University of Maiduguri

Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have neutralised two suspected fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) during an ambush operation along the Tamsukawu Road behind the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) in Borno State, as the military sustains pressure on insurgent activities around the state capital.

Security sources said personnel of the 73 Battalion, working alongside local vigilantes, launched the operation in the early hours of Wednesday after receiving intelligence on the movement of suspected terrorists along the route.

According to the sources, troops lying in wait made contact with the insurgents at about 12:15 a.m., triggering a gun battle. Two suspected ISWAP members were killed during the exchange, while others reportedly escaped into surrounding bushes.

Following the encounter, troops carried out a search and exploitation operation across the area in an effort to track the fleeing suspects. However, no further contact was made with the escaping fighters.

Military sources said the ambush forms part of Operation HADIN KAI’s ongoing counter-insurgency campaign aimed at disrupting terrorist movements and preventing infiltration around Maiduguri and neighbouring communities. The operation is one of several recent offensives targeting insurgent networks across Borno State.

The military has continued to intensify surveillance, intelligence gathering and coordinated operations with local security volunteers to limit the operational freedom of ISWAP and other terrorist groups in the North-East. Authorities said troops remain on heightened alert as security operations continue across the theatre in response to the evolving insurgency.