How Military Air Strike Crushed ISWAP Attack Plot, Killed Over 40 Fighters in Borno

How Military Air Strike Crushed ISWAP Attack Plot, Killed Over 40 Fighters in Borno

 

The Nigerian military has reported killing more than 40 Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters, including a prominent commander, in an air strike that reportedly disrupted plans for coordinated attacks on military positions in Borno State.

 

The operation, conducted by the Air Component of the Joint Task Force, North East, under Operation Hadin Kai, targeted a suspected insurgent enclave at Badu Village, south of Gudumbali in Guzamala Local Government Area of the state.

 

The military said the operation was launched on October 10, 2026, after intelligence reports indicated that the insurgents were assembling to plan attacks against troops operating in the area.

 

In a statement issued in Maiduguri, Captain Mohammed Goni, the Military Information Officer at the Headquarters of the Joint Task Force, North East, said preliminary intelligence and battle damage assessments indicated that more than 40 fighters were killed in the operation.

 

According to the military, the casualties included a prominent ISWAP commander believed to have been involved in the group’s operations in the region.

 

Military acts on intelligence about planned attacks

 

Goni said the operation followed credible intelligence about the concentration of insurgents allegedly preparing coordinated attacks against military formations and nearby communities.

 

He explained that the Air Component conducted aerial surveillance to identify the movements of suspected fighters around their hideouts and logistics facilities before launching a precision strike on a building occupied by the insurgents.

 

The military said the air strike disrupted the planned attacks and weakened the operational capacity of the targeted fighters.

 

However, the reported casualty figure was based on the military’s preliminary assessment, and independent confirmation of the number of fighters killed was not available.

 

Vehicles, motorcycles destroyed

 

The military also reported that the operation destroyed two vehicles and approximately 20 motorcycles allegedly used by the insurgents for transportation, logistics and offensive operations.

 

The destruction of the equipment could affect the group’s ability to move fighters, transport supplies and coordinate attacks across remote communities in the area.

 

According to the military, intelligence gathered after the operation linked the targeted fighters to ISWAP’s Murabitun element, described as a mobile fighting unit involved in patrols, attack coordination and other insurgent activities.

 

The military said further assessments were ongoing to determine the full extent of the damage caused by the strike.

 

ISWAP remains a security threat in North-East

 

ISWAP remains one of the principal armed extremist groups operating in Nigeria’s North-East, particularly in Borno State and areas around the Lake Chad region.

 

The group emerged from the Boko Haram insurgency and has continued to attack military formations and communities as security forces intensify efforts to contain its activities.

 

Insurgent attacks on military positions have posed persistent challenges to efforts to restore peace and enable displaced residents to return to their communities.

 

The latest reported operation forms part of the military’s broader campaign to disrupt insurgent movements, dismantle their operational networks and prevent attacks on troops and civilians.

 

The military reiterated its commitment to sustaining intelligence-led operations and coordinated air and ground offensives against insurgent groups in the North-East.

 

While the reported deaths of more than 40 fighters would represent a significant blow to the targeted group if confirmed, the full impact of the operation will depend on subsequent intelligence assessments and developments on the ground.

 

How Military Air Strike Crushed ISWAP Attack Plot, Killed Over 40 Fighters in Borno