The Nigerian Army revealed this in a brief statement issued on Friday, noting that further details would be made available later.

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have neutralised 16 fighters of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram during a clearance operation in Damboa, Borno State, the Nigerian Army has said.

The Nigerian Army revealed this in a brief statement issued on Friday, noting that further details would be made available later.

Meanwhile, according to security expert Zagazola Makama, a coordinated attack by terrorists occurred around 1:00 a.m. on Thursday, targeting the Azir Bridge axis and the 25 Task Force Brigade base in Damboa, Borno State.

Makama, citing a military source, said the troops, backed by indirect fire support and airstrikes from the Air Component Command, engaged the insurgents in a prolonged firefight lasting over two hours.

“The main thrust of the terrorists was the brigade location in Damboa, where they attacked en masse. However, the troops responded decisively with heavy firepower, leading to a significant number of enemy casualties,” one of the sources was quoted as saying.

“At least 16 bodies of the terrorists were recovered after the exchange, with several others believed to have fled with gunshot wounds. Unfortunately, two soldiers paid the supreme price during the gun battle with the terrorists.”

Sources also confirmed to the security expert that a projectile fired by the terrorists triggered an explosion at an ammunition storage facility, igniting a fire that damaged two nearby structures.

Emergency response teams quickly contained the blaze.

The report added that pursuit operations were ongoing to track the fleeing attackers, while clearance efforts continued across the general area.

Damboa, situated in southern Borno, remains a frequent target of ISWAP due to its strategic importance.