The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has killed more than 40 Islamic State West Africa Province fighters (ISWAP), including a prominent commander, in an air strike on an insurgent hideout in Borno State, the military has said.
The strike, conducted on October 10 at Badu Village, south of Gudumbali in Guzamala Local Government Area (LGA), followed intelligence reports that the insurgents were planning coordinated attacks on troops in the North East.
The military also reported the destruction of two vehicles and about 20 motorcycles used by the fighters for movement, logistics and offensive operations.
The Military Information Officer at the Headquarters of the Joint Task Force (JTF), North East, Operation Hadin Kai, Captain Mohammed Goni, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.
He said the operation followed credible intelligence indicating that ISWAP fighters had gathered in preparation for attacks on troops operating within Sector 3's area of responsibility.
According to Goni, the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai conducted aerial surveillance and identified insurgent movements around suspected hideouts and logistics facilities before launching a precision strike on a building occupied by the fighters.
“Preliminary Human Intelligence, Battle Damage Assessment indicates that over 40 terrorists, including a prominent ISWAP Qaid (commander), were neutralised in the strike,” he said.
The military said the operation targeted fighters belonging to ISWAP's Murabitun element, described as a specialised mobile fighting unit responsible for patrols, coordinating attacks and sustaining the group's activities in the area.
It added that destroying the enclave, vehicles and motorcycles would weaken the unit's operational capacity and disrupt planned attacks on military positions and nearby communities.
The military said the operation represented a setback for ISWAP's ability to launch attacks and sustain its activities in the Lake Chad region, although further assessments were ongoing to establish the full extent of the damage.
The strike forms part of the military's continued use of intelligence-led air operations to disrupt insurgent movements, destroy logistics networks and support ground troops engaged in counter-insurgency operations across the North East.
Operation Hadin Kai has sustained air and ground offensives against Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters in Borno and neighbouring areas, where insurgents continue to threaten military positions and vulnerable communities.
The JTF reiterated its commitment to coordinated air and ground operations aimed at eliminating terrorist threats, protecting civilians and restoring peace and stability across the region.
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