Troops of the Joint Task Force South East, Operation UDO KA, have raided suspected IPOB strongholds in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State, recovering weapons and materials allegedly used in the production of improvised explosive devices, IEDs.
The task force disclosed this in a statement shared on its social media platform on Saturday night.
According to the statement, the operation was carried out on Saturday, August 22, 2026, in collaboration with the Maritime Component of the Department of State Services, DSS, and the Anambra Vigilante Group.
Security operatives reportedly launched a coordinated dawn operation against identified locations at Obene Village and Abator Village in the Ochuche and Umunankwo communities.
“On sighting the advancing troops, the terrorists opened fire before abandoning their positions and fleeing into the surrounding terrain,” the statement said.
The task force said the troops returned fire and pursued the fleeing suspects.
According to the statement, one alleged member of the group was neutralised during the operation, while others escaped. It added that the fleeing members reportedly took away the body of another person said to have been neutralised.
The operation, the task force said, led to the dismantling of the group’s alleged operational bases in the area, limiting its ability to continue using the locations as hideouts or launch points for further attacks.
Following a search of the locations, troops recovered two pump-action guns, two motorcycles, materials suspected to be intended for making IEDs, and other items.
BACKSTORY
The latest raid is part of ongoing security operations by Joint Task Force South East, Operation UDO KA, aimed at disrupting suspected armed groups and criminal networks operating across the South-East.
The operation comes amid continued military efforts to deny suspected armed groups safe havens in the region and prevent them from using forested areas and other locations as bases for attacks.
The latest development follows other security operations in Anambra targeting suspected IPOB/ESN camps, highlighting the continued security challenges in parts of the South-East.
