Troops kill 103 ISWAP fighters in Borno, Adamawa air strikes

Nigerian troops have killed 103 suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters and destroyed several logistics facilities in a series of air strikes across the North East between October 10 and 18.
The operations targeted terrorist locations in Borno and Adamawa states, including Gudumbali in Guzamala Local Government Area (LGA), Badu and Mairari in Monguno, and Duste Uku in Gombi, Adamawa State.
The Acting Military Information Officer of the Headquarters Joint Task Force (North-East), Operation Hadin Kai, Mohammed Goni, disclosed the figures in a statement on Monday in Maiduguri.
He said the campaign involved seven precision strikes conducted by Nigerian Army Aviation, the Nigerian Army Remotely Piloted Aircraft Regiment and the Air Component.
One of the major operations took place on Sunday, when military aircraft struck an alternative residence of Abu Saleem, identified by the military as ISWAP’s Wali of South Lake Chad, following intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance activities.
Goni said subsequent human intelligence reports confirmed the deaths of Jindullah, described as a prominent ISWAP fighter and chief security guard to Abu Saleem, and Abul Kissa, a member of the group’s Shura Council.
Other senior fighters were also reportedly killed in the operation.
The military said the targeted building was completely destroyed, alongside logistics equipment comprising nine boat engines and several motorcycles. It added that the destruction would weaken the group’s ability to use the location as a hideout and supply base.
In another operation on October 13, an air asset tracked 16 suspected terrorists from the Mairari axis to a gathering of more than 100 fighters accompanied by motorcycles.
The gathering was located about 23 kilometres east of Badu and 19 kilometres west of Monguno, according to the statement.
A subsequent precision strike was assessed to have killed about 30 fighters, although the extent of damage to the motorcycles could not be confirmed.
Other strikes during the period targeted suspected terrorist positions and facilities around Gudumbali, Badu, Mairari and Duste Uku.
The military said the operations were aimed at disrupting ISWAP’s leadership, destroying its logistics networks and restricting the movement of its fighters across the region.
It added that coordinated air operations and ground forces would continue to put pressure on insurgent groups as efforts to restore security in the North East intensify.
The casualty figures and operational assessments were provided by the military and have not been independently verified by GalaxyTV.