Nigerian troops under the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, have neutralised more than 40 Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists, including a prominent commander, in a precision air strike in Borno state.
The operation, conducted by the air component of the joint task force on October 10, 2026, targeted a terrorist enclave at Badu village, south of Gudumbali in Guzamala Local Government Area of Borno state. Blueprint reports
The military said the strike followed credible intelligence indicating that a concentration of ISWAP fighters was preparing to launch coordinated attacks against troops operating within Sector 3 of Operation HADIN KAI.
The operation involved targeted aerial surveillance, the identification of terrorist movements and the subsequent engagement of a building occupied by the insurgents.
Preliminary human intelligence and battle damage assessment indicated that more than 40 terrorists were killed in the strike, including a prominent ISWAP commander known as a Qaid.
The military described the operation as part of sustained efforts to dismantle terrorist networks, disrupt their operational capabilities and prevent planned attacks against military formations and vulnerable communities in the North-East.
Intelligence exposes planned attacks
According to the military, the air strike was initiated after intelligence reports revealed the presence of a large concentration of ISWAP fighters at the Badu village enclave.
The terrorists were reportedly preparing to launch coordinated attacks against troops within the area of responsibility of Sector 3, prompting the military to deploy its air assets to investigate and engage the suspected hideout.
The air component subsequently conducted targeted aerial surveillance to monitor movements around the location, including suspected hideouts and logistics facilities associated with the insurgents.
After identifying the targets, the aircraft carried out a precision strike on a building occupied by the terrorists.
The military said preliminary information gathered through human intelligence, alongside battle damage assessment, indicated that the operation had inflicted substantial casualties on the group.
More than 40 terrorists were reportedly neutralised, including a prominent commander whose position within the group was identified as that of a Qaid, a leadership designation used by the insurgents.
The military said further assessment was ongoing to establish the full extent of the damage caused by the operation.
Two vehicles, 20 motorcycles destroyed
Beyond the reported casualties, the air strike also destroyed two vehicles and approximately 20 motorcycles allegedly used by the terrorists for mobility, logistics and offensive operations.
The destruction of the vehicles and motorcycles is significant because mobile transport provides insurgent groups with the ability to move fighters, supplies and equipment between hideouts and operational locations.
Motorcycles, in particular, are frequently used by armed groups operating across remote and difficult-to-access terrain in the Lake Chad region, where limited road infrastructure and vast stretches of rural land can complicate military operations.
The military said the destroyed assets were associated with the terrorist enclave and formed part of the group’s operational resources.
Their destruction, alongside the reported neutralisation of more than 40 fighters, was expected to disrupt the activities of the targeted cell.
However, the military said further assessments were required to determine the full operational impact of the strike.
ISWAP’s Murabitun unit targeted
Further intelligence reportedly indicated that the terrorists belonged to ISWAP’s Murabitun element, described by the military as a specialised mobile fighting unit involved in patrols, coordinating attacks and sustaining the group’s activities in the area.
The reported identification of the unit provides additional context to the significance of the operation, given the role attributed to mobile fighting formations in maintaining insurgent presence and supporting attacks against security forces.
The military said the destruction of the enclave and associated logistics assets represented a setback to ISWAP’s ability to organise and execute attacks in the Lake Chad region.
The region, which spans parts of Nigeria and neighbouring countries, has remained an important theatre of counter-insurgency operations against ISWAP and other armed groups.
Security forces have continued to conduct air and ground operations aimed at disrupting insurgent movements, destroying operational infrastructure and limiting the groups’ capacity to threaten military positions and civilian settlements.
The military did not immediately provide further details about the identity of the commander reportedly killed or disclose the full extent of the damage inflicted on the Murabitun element.
Operation HADIN KAI sustains offensive
The latest operation forms part of the continuing military campaign under Operation HADIN KAI, the joint task force responsible for counter-insurgency operations in Nigeria’s North-East.
The campaign has involved coordinated air and ground operations targeting insurgent hideouts, logistics networks and concentrations of fighters across Borno and other parts of the region affected by the conflict.
The military said the latest strike demonstrated the importance of intelligence-led operations and the use of technology to identify and engage terrorist targets.
According to the military, the integration of intelligence gathering, aerial surveillance and precision air power remains central to efforts to weaken insurgent networks and prevent attacks against troops.
It added that the joint task force remained committed to sustaining air and ground offensives against terrorist groups operating in the North-East.
The military also reiterated its commitment to protecting vulnerable communities and supporting efforts to restore security in areas affected by insurgency.
Military assessment continues
Although preliminary findings indicated that more than 40 terrorists, including a prominent ISWAP commander, were neutralised, the military said the assessment of the operation was still ongoing.
The final assessment is expected to provide a clearer picture of the damage inflicted on the targeted enclave, the equipment destroyed and the effect of the strike on the group’s operational capacity.
The military maintained that operations would continue against terrorist elements threatening troops and communities across the region.
The October 10 strike at Badu village represents another operation in the continuing campaign to disrupt ISWAP’s activities and reduce its capacity to launch attacks in the Lake Chad region.
