BY FRONTLINE REPORTERS

More than 40 Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters, including a prominent commander, have been killed in an air strike on a terrorist enclave in Badu Village, south of Gudumbali in Guzamala Local Government Area of Borno State.

The military said the operation, conducted over the weekend, followed credible intelligence reports indicating that ISWAP fighters were massing to launch coordinated attacks on troops operating within Sector 3 of Operation Hadin Kai.

In a statement issued in Maiduguri on Monday, the Military Information Officer at the Headquarters of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation Hadin Kai, Captain Mohammed Goni, said the Air Component acted swiftly on the intelligence to identify and strike the terrorists’ hideout.

“Acting swiftly on the intelligence, the Air Component conducted targeted aerial surveillance, identified terrorist movements around suspected hideouts and logistics facilities, and subsequently executed a precision strike on a building occupied by the terrorists,” the statement said.

According to the military, preliminary human intelligence and battle damage assessments indicated that more than 40 fighters, including a prominent ISWAP Qaid (commander), were killed in the operation.

The strike also destroyed two vehicles and approximately 20 motorcycles reportedly used by the terrorists for mobility, logistics and offensive operations. The military said the destruction of these assets had significantly weakened the group’s operational capabilities and disrupted its planned attacks on military positions and surrounding communities.

Further intelligence indicated that the fighters belonged to ISWAP’s Murabitun element, described by the military as a specialised mobile fighting unit responsible for conducting patrols, coordinating attacks and sustaining terrorist activities in the area.

The military said the destruction of the enclave and its associated operational assets represented a significant setback to ISWAP’s ability to launch attacks and sustain its activities in the Lake Chad region.

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

“The successful operation underscores the effectiveness of intelligence-led, technology-enabled and coordinated air operations in dismantling terrorist networks, disrupting hostile activities and denying criminal elements freedom of action,” the statement added.

The military also said the operation demonstrated the sustained operational momentum of troops under Operation Hadin Kai in degrading terrorist capabilities and strengthening security across Nigeria’s North-East.

The Joint Task Force reaffirmed its commitment to eliminating terrorist threats, protecting vulnerable communities and consolidating ongoing efforts to restore lasting peace and stability in the region.