Military Kills Over 40 ISWAP Fighters In Borno Air Strike

The Nigerian military has killed more than 40 Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters, including a senior commander, in an air strike on a terrorist hideout in Borno State.

The operation, which took place over the weekend, targeted an enclave in Badu Village, south of Gudumbali in Guzamala Local Government Area.

The military said the strike followed intelligence reports that ISWAP fighters were gathering in the area to launch coordinated attacks on troops operating under Sector 3 of Operation Hadin Kai.

Naija News reports that the Military Information Officer at the Headquarters of the Joint Task Force, North East, Operation Hadin Kai, Captain Mohammed Goni, disclosed this in a statement issued in Maiduguri on Monday.

According to the statement, the Air Component acted on the intelligence by carrying out aerial surveillance to track the movement of the fighters around suspected hideouts and logistics facilities.

The military said the operation led to a precision strike on a building occupied by the terrorists.

“Preliminary Human Intelligence, Battle Damage Assessment indicates that over 40 terrorists, including a prominent ISWAP Qaid (commander), were neutralized in the strike,” the statement said.

The operation also destroyed two vehicles and about 20 motorcycles reportedly used by the fighters for movement, logistics and attacks.

The military said the destruction of the assets had weakened the group’s fighting ability and disrupted its planned attacks on military positions and nearby communities.

Further intelligence indicated that the fighters belonged to ISWAP’s Murabitun element, a specialized mobile unit responsible for patrols, coordinating attacks and supporting terrorist activities in the area.

The military described the destruction of the hideout and its operational assets as a major setback for the group’s ability to carry out attacks and maintain its activities in the Lake Chad region.

It added that further assessments were ongoing to determine the full extent of the damage caused by the operation.

The statement said the strike showed the effectiveness of intelligence-led and coordinated air operations in weakening terrorist networks and restricting their movements.

It also said the operation reflected the continued efforts of troops under Operation Hadin Kai to reduce the fighting capacity of terrorist groups and improve security across the North-East.

The Joint Task Force said it remained committed to eliminating terrorist threats, protecting vulnerable communities and supporting efforts to restore lasting peace and stability in the region.