Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have neutralised 38 fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province following an attack on a military position in Borno State, the military said on Saturday.

In a statement, the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force North East, Sani Uba, said the terrorists launched an assault on the Forward Operating Base at Mandaragirau in Sector 2 but were repelled by troops after a coordinated response.

According to the statement, ground forces engaged the attackers with ambushes and defensive countermeasures that forced them into a disorderly retreat. The Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai also provided close air support during the operation.

Troops later pursued the fleeing insurgents along their withdrawal routes, inflicting additional casualties. The military said eight bodies were recovered at the immediate scene, while intelligence from local sources indicated that more than 30 additional bodies and weapons were sighted along the Garin Mallum–Garin Gajere axis into the Timbuktu Triangle.

Recovered items from the operation included seven AK-47 rifles, eight magazines, four rocket-propelled grenade bombs, and assorted ammunition.

The military reported no fatalities among its personnel, though one Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle was hit by rocket-propelled grenade fire. Injured personnel were stabilised, according to the statement.

The army added that the scale of the losses suffered by the insurgents had sparked celebrations in nearby communities and underscored ongoing efforts by Operation Hadin Kai troops to limit the operational capacity of terrorist groups in the region.