According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication covering the Lake Chad region, the attack took place around 1am on Wednesday.

A distress call was made to the north-east headquarters of the joint task force (JTF) about an assault on the station.

Makama said despite heavy gunfire, troops of the 222 battalion secured the police station against the terrorists, who attempted to capture the police armoured personnel carrier (APC) with the intention of using same against security forces in the future.

“Upon receiving the information, our troops swiftly mobilized, engaged the terrorists, and successfully repelled the attack, allowing the police Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) to withdraw safely,” Makama said.

The publication said the number of terrorist casualties remains unconfirmed, but there were traces of blood along their withdrawal route.

It noted that there were no casualties among the security forces, but three tyres of the APC were damaged during the attack.

Makama added that troops have maintained dominance over the area and plan to conduct further operations to track down the assailants.