Troops of the Nigerian military have foiled an attempted infiltration into Monguno town and Bitta community at the Lake Chad region by Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists after scores of them, including a top commander, were neutralized in the midnight operations.

The Senior Quiad Commander, identified as Ibn Khalid, was killed along with the terrorist cameraman in the fierce gun battle that ensued in the Bitta community when troops of the Nigerian Army engaged the terrorists while repelling the attack around 2:30 am.

According to the theater Commander Northeast joint taskforce operation Hadin Kai, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, seventeen other terrorists were killed in different locations within Sambisa cutting across Madagali LGA in Adamawa and Kaga in Borno.

An unspecified number of the terrorists escaped with varying degrees of injuries.

Maj. Gen. Abdulsalam said the troops, while pursuing the terrorists as they retreated, observed traces of blood along the withdrawal routes.

Items such as 2 AK-47 magazines, 7.26 millimeter special ammunition, 1PKT belt, Rocket Propelled Grenade Bomb, and a Camcorder were recovered from the terrorists.

Monguno Town is the headquarters of Northern Borno at the fringes of the Lake Chad region. It serves as the headquarters of Sector 3 operations, Hadin Kai, and the Multinational Joint Task Force.

Although civil authorities have been restored in Monguno, with residents resuming their normal activities, communities within Lake Chad remain deserted as they are yet to be rebuilt and restored.