By Saminu Ibrahim
The Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI has neutralised more than 40 Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters, including a prominent commander, in a precision air strike on a terrorist enclave in Borno State.
The operation was conducted on October 10, 2026, at Badu Village, south of Gudumbali in Guzamala Local Government Area of the state.
The military said the intelligence-driven operation followed credible reports that ISWAP fighters were assembling to launch coordinated attacks on troops operating within Sector 3 of the theatre of operations.
According to a statement on Monday by the Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, Captain Mohammed Goni, the Air Component swiftly deployed aerial surveillance to track the terrorists’ movements around suspected hideouts and logistics facilities before launching the strike.
Preliminary human intelligence and battle damage assessments indicated that more than 40 terrorists, including a prominent ISWAP commander known as a Qaid, were killed in the operation.
The strike also destroyed two vehicles and approximately 20 motorcycles reportedly used by the terrorists for transportation, logistics and offensive operations.
The military said the operation significantly degraded the group’s fighting capability and disrupted its plans to attack military positions and surrounding communities.
“Further intelligence revealed that the targeted fighters belonged to ISWAP’s Murabitun element, a specialised mobile fighting unit responsible for patrols, coordinating attacks and sustaining terrorist activities in the area”.
The destruction of the enclave and its operational assets was described as a major setback to the group’s ability to launch attacks and sustain its activities in the Lake Chad region.
The military added that further assessments were ongoing to determine the full extent of the damage inflicted during the operation.
It said the successful strike demonstrated the effectiveness of intelligence-led, technology-enabled and coordinated air operations in dismantling terrorist networks, disrupting hostile activities and restricting the movement of armed groups.
The statement added that troops under Operation HADIN KAI remained committed to sustained air and ground operations to eliminate terrorist threats, protect vulnerable communities and restore lasting peace and stability across the North-East.
