The operation ultimately resulted in failure and ended in the deaths of numerous local and foreign mercenaries and Biafran soldiers.

[1] In October 1967 the Nigerian Gen. Murtala Mohammed began bombardment of Onitsha and later led a 10-boat armada across the Niger River into the city.

Nigerian soldiers looted and burned the Onitsha market to the ground, which gave the Biafrans time to re-organize and mount a counter-attack.

The Biafrans managed to re-capture the city after a pincer movement from north and south devastated the Nigerian 2nd Division.

With no aerial support or any natural obstacles to hide behind, the attacking Biafran brigade was decimated by Nigerian machine gun fire and suffered heavy casualties.