More than 40 Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters, including a senior commander, have reportedly been killed in an air strike on a suspected terrorist enclave in Borno State, according to the Nigerian military.
The strike targeted a building occupied by fighters at Badu Village, south of Gudumbali in Guzamala Local Government Area, over the weekend. In a statement issued in Maiduguri on Monday, Captain Mohammed Goni, Military Information Officer at the Headquarters of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation Hadin Kai, said the operation followed intelligence reports indicating that ISWAP fighters were preparing coordinated attacks against troops operating in Sector 3.
Goni said the Air Component conducted aerial surveillance after receiving the intelligence, identifying suspected hideouts, logistics facilities and movements around the target area before launching a precision strike.
“Preliminary Human Intelligence, Battle Damage Assessment indicates that over 40 terrorists, including a prominent ISWAP Qaid (commander), were neutralized in the strike,” the statement said.
The military added that two vehicles and approximately 20 motorcycles used by the fighters for transportation, logistics and offensive operations were also destroyed.
According to the statement, the fighters belonged to ISWAP’s Murabitun element, described as a specialised mobile unit responsible for patrols, coordinating attacks and sustaining the group’s activities in the area. The military said the destruction of the enclave and associated assets had weakened the group’s operational capabilities and disrupted its alleged plans to attack military positions and surrounding communities.
It added that further assessments were ongoing to determine the full extent of the damage caused by the operation. The military described the strike as part of its continuing intelligence-led operations against armed groups operating in the North-East, particularly around the Lake Chad region.
Operation Hadin Kai said its troops remained committed to disrupting terrorist networks, protecting vulnerable communities and supporting efforts to restore peace and stability across the region.
