Troops Destroy ISWAP Detention Facilities In Yobe

Troops of the Operation Hadin Kai Joint Task Force have captured and destroyed the notorious ISWAP terrorists’ detention facility within the Timbuktu Triangle in Gujba Local Government of Yobe State.

The Media Information Officer of the Theatre Command in Maiduguri, Sani Uba, in a press statement, described the development as a significant advance into areas long considered beyond the reach of security forces and underscored the growing effectiveness and sustainability of ongoing counter-insurgency operations.

Uba said the operation was conducted as part of Operation Desert Sanity V, following sustained offensive pressure and intelligence-led maneuvers that forced terrorist elements to abandon critical facilities deep within their strongholds.

According to him, the exposure and destruction clearly demonstrate that troops have advanced well into the inner sanctuaries of ISWAP terrorists, denying the group both physical space and psychological advantage.

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“From 21 January 2026 to date, troops uncovered and destroyed 3 major terrorist detention facilities concealed within the Timbuktu Triangle Forest, which stretches across Borno and Yobe states. Preliminary assessments indicated that the facilities had the capacity to hold up to 300 detainees, highlighting their strategic importance to ISWAP terrorists’ operational and coercive framework,” the statement read.

“Further findings indicated that sustained offensive action by troops directly led to the escape of over 70 captives previously held by the terrorists. This was corroborated by many of the escaped captives who later resurfaced in several villages like Goniri, Buratai, and Mandaragirau, among others,” the statement reads in part.

One of the escapees, it said, Malam Jidda Ba Jidda, a native of Kufi village near Buratai in Biu LGA, who was abducted on 22 December 2025, disclosed that he escaped during the gun duel between the terrorists and advancing troops in the Timbuktu Triangle.

Uba further revealed that during the series of encounters in the Timbuktu Triangle, ISWAP suffered significant combat losses, with no fewer than 32 fighters neutralised, including 2 Qaids and 3 Munzirs, while several others sustained serious injuries during fierce engagements with troops.

Following thorough clearance of the area, he said the three detention facilities were deliberately demolished, permanently denying ISWAP the ability to reuse or reoccupy the site.