Operation HADIN KAI foils ISWAP attack on Monguno school, rescues 46 students

In the early hours of 19 July 2026, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants attempted a mass abduction at the Federal Government Girls College (FGGC) in Monguno, Borno State. The school, being used as a temporary hostel for Federal Polytechnic students, was reportedly accessed with the help of suspected collaborators.

Troops from Operation HADIN KAI, together with the Nigeria Police Mobile Force, engaged the attackers. Captain Mohammed Goni, the acting military information officer, said, “Alert security personnel immediately engaged the terrorists with coordinated and overwhelming firepower… the Sector 3 Quick Reaction Force immediately reinforced the school.” The operation forced the insurgents to flee without taking any students. All 46 students were rescued and taken to Kinnasara Barracks, where they received medical assessment and were declared stable. However, stray gunfire from the fleeing terrorists killed several students and caused damage to parts of the school infrastructure.

The military expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and announced ongoing exploitation to identify and apprehend the collaborators believed to have aided the attack. Further tracking of the fleeing terrorists continues across the North‑East theatre.