Troops of Operation Hadin Kai successfully repelled a multi-pronged assault by Boko Haram terrorists on the newly resettled community of Delwa. The insurgents launched the attack from three different directions late Tuesday night, while simultaneously attempting to set up an ambush for motorists along the Molai–Delwa road. Soldiers from the 7 Division Garrison engaged the attackers with superior firepower, forcing them to retreat into the dark.
11 Dec 2025 · Delwa, Konduga, Borno
Deaths
1
Injured
0
Kidnapped
0
Total casualties
1
Perpetrators
Boko Haram
Response
Beyond the initial firefight, troops conducted a "follow-up exploitation" on Wednesday morning. Recovered items included a bandolier with two 36mm hand grenades, three empty AK-47 magazines, 31 rounds of PKT ammunition, and two machine-gun rounds.
Displacement
0
Socioeconomic drivers
Notably, just days after this incident (Dec 16), troops at the same Forward Operating Base (FOB) Molai in Delwa repelled a sophisticated drone attack involving four explosive-laden UAVs, signaling an escalation in insurgent hardware.
Trajectory
The transition from ground-based "swarming" (the Dec 9 attack) to "aerial IEDs" (the Dec 16 drone attack) in the Delwa axis suggests that the JAS/ISWAP factions are testing the military’s air-defense capabilities around resettlement hubs.
Cycle notes
Mirrored earlier failed insurgent assaults on resettled communities and coordinated ambush attempts, such as the 31 August 2013 Monguno forest ambush, the 8 September 2013 Benisheik attack on vigilantes, and the 14 September 2013 Michika raid, reflecting a recurring pattern of Boko Haram targeting vulnerable or newly resettled populations while attempting simultaneous ambushes on escape routes, and demonstrating that military preparedness and superior firepower could disrupt insurgent operations despite their tactical coordination.
Pattern
The Resettlement Siege — Delwa is part of the Borno State Government's aggressive plan to close IDP camps and return citizens to their ancestral lands. Insurgents target these "new" communities to discourage the resettlement policy and re-establish "taxation" zones.
Related — Counter-Insurgency
A Nigerian Air Force fighter jet conducted an airstrike in Zamfara State that killed at least 20 civilians, primarily local vigilantes. The incident occurred when Bandits attacked Mani and Wabi villages in Maru district, stealing cattle and kidnapping dozens of residents. Local vigilantes from Maraya and surrounding communities mobilised to pursue the Bandits and recover the hostages and stolen livestock. A military jet deployed to assist the community mistakenly bombed the vigilantes between Maraya and Wabi villages, killing at least 20 of them. The Nigerian Air Force claimed the strike targeted armed Bandits, stating they neutralised over 20 terrorists and destroyed 21 motorcycles in the operation. Residents reported that the vigilantes were caught in the crossfire while pursuing the Bandits.
Security operatives killed Uzairu Abba Abdullahi, a suspected Boko Haram leader and textile merchant, during a five‑hour gunfight in the Hotoro area of Nassarawa Local Government Area, Kano. Abdullahi’s pregnant wife was also killed in the crossfire; his son was arrested. Abdullahi was identified as a 2002 Mass Communication graduate of Bayero University, Kano, and security sources described him as “one of the planners and executors” of the 20 January “Kano Blitz” (185+ killed). The operation was based on a tip‑off that sect members were in the area; a security team comprising soldiers, police and other personnel stormed the residence at midnight. When Abdullahi and his men opened fire, the security team returned fire in a prolonged battle that lasted from about 12:30 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. The slain suspect was also described as a local textile trader at the Kantin Kwari market
Troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA repelled a Bandits attack in Tashar Gemu and Unguwar Gambo, Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State. Six people sustained injuries during the clash.