One soldier was killed when troops repelled what was described as a “coordinated multi-pronged terrorist assault” on military positions in Kukawa after a prolonged overnight battle supported by air strikes.

Security analyst Zagazola Makama, in a post on X, said troops “have thwarted a coordinated multi-pronged terrorist assault on positions in Kukawa after a prolonged overnight battle supported by air strikes.”

According to him, military sources revealed that the attackers, “mounted on gun trucks, motorcycles and on foot, launched the assault from multiple directions late on Feb. 20.”

The troops, however, “mounted a determined defence, engaging the insurgents in intense combat that lasted into the early hours of Feb. 21 before forcing them to withdraw while dragging away casualties,” the post stated.

Air power was later deployed against the fleeing fighters. Makama noted that “air strikes later destroyed one gun truck and several motorcycles carrying fleeing fighters, neutralising additional terrorists.”

During follow-up operations, troops recovered 13 AK-47 rifles, 16 loaded magazines and three handheld radios, among other items believed to have been used by the attackers. There was also evidence suggesting that the insurgents evacuated some of their casualties from the battlefield.

“One soldier was killed during the encounter, while some equipment was damaged by rocket fire,” Makama wrote, adding that injured personnel were evacuated and “are reported to be in stable condition.”

Military authorities, he said, maintained that the coordinated ground and air operations demonstrate “sustained pressure on insurgent elements and continued efforts to degrade their combat capability across the theatre.”