By Joy Odor Reportcircle News
The battle for the North-East roared again at daybreak but this time the gunfire ended with fleeing insurgents, rescued children and a teenage fighter walking out of the bush alive.
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai launched coordinated fighting patrols across the theatre between February 20 and 21, storming terrorist enclaves and tightening the noose around armed groups operating in remote communities.
In Sabsawa village, Borno State, soldiers on patrol suddenly ran into insurgents suspected to be members of Boko Haram/ISWAP.
What followed was a fierce exchange.
According to military sources, troops unleashed superior firepower, shattering the attackers’ formation and forcing them into a chaotic retreat. During the sweep that followed, five insurgents were neutralised while others escaped into surrounding vegetation.
Hours later, another patrol made a heartbreaking discovery in Ngurosoye, Bama Local Government Area.
Three abducted siblings, 12-year-old Abba, 8-year-old Fatima and 6-year-old Aisha were found alive during a perimeter sweep.
Preliminary findings showed the children were kidnapped about two months earlier along the Gubio axis before being moved between terrorist camps.
They have now been handed over to the police for reunification and care.
In a separate development in Geidam, Yobe State, an 18-year-old suspected terrorist surrendered to troops and is currently undergoing profiling.
Security sources say recent operations and sustained pressure have continued to weaken insurgent ranks, forcing younger fighters to abandon the battlefield.
Across the wider theatre, troops supported by local vigilantes and hunters carried out clearance missions aimed at denying insurgents freedom of movement.
Military authorities praised the soldiers’ morale and fighting efficiency, insisting operations will continue until lasting peace returns to the region.
For communities long trapped between fear and survival, the latest operations offered something rare, a night without gunmen, and children brought back home alive.
