Major Blow to ISWAP as Troops Neutralise Over 50 Terrorists in North-East

Major Blow to ISWAP as Troops Neutralise Over 50 Terrorists in North-East

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have intensified counterterrorism operations in the North-East, killing more than 50 terrorists, including a senior Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) commander, and arresting suspected collaborators in ongoing clearance operations across Borno State.

A detailed operational report made available to journalists in Abuja on Wednesday said the successes followed sustained ground assaults and precision airstrikes targeting terrorist hideouts around Kirta and Arina Ciki.

The report confirmed that the air interdiction missions led to the elimination of several insurgent commanders, including Khalifa Umar, identified as a member of the ISWAP Shura Council, which forms part of the group’s leadership and decision-making structure.

Military sources said the coordinated strikes disrupted terrorist regrouping efforts in the Lake Chad region and forced surviving fighters to abandon fortified island enclaves, moving toward the mainland under sustained military pressure.

The report added that the ongoing offensive combines intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) with precision airstrikes and coordinated ground operations aimed at dismantling insurgent command structures and logistics networks across Borno State.

Troops also conducted aggressive fighting patrols along the Kukawa axis, engaging fleeing terrorist scouts and recovering ammunition during clearance operations in the area.

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Security analysts note that the Lake Chad Basin and Sambisa Forest remain key strongholds for ISWAP and Boko Haram factions, despite years of sustained military pressure and repeated clearance operations.

In separate operations across Maiduguri and surrounding communities, troops arrested three suspected ISWAP logistics suppliers and informants believed to be supporting insurgent movements and supply chains in the region.

In a related development, a deserter soldier who allegedly absconded with his service rifle was also arrested after being linked to criminal activities and suspected collaboration with terrorist elements.

Items recovered from the suspects included a rifle with magazines, a vehicle, about 30 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), and other materials believed to support terrorist logistics and operations.

Military authorities said sustained air and ground offensives have significantly weakened insurgent control over island enclaves in the Lake Chad region, forcing fighters to break into smaller, less coordinated cells.

They added that this shift has increased insurgents’ vulnerability to continuous pursuit operations, intelligence-led raids, and targeted airstrikes by Nigerian forces.

Officials explained that the evolving strategy under Operation Hadin Kai is focused on dismantling leadership structures, disrupting supply chains, and denying terrorists freedom of movement across Borno State and adjoining border corridors.

The North-East theatre remains the epicentre of Nigeria’s long-running counterterrorism campaign under Operation Hadin Kai, which continues to conduct coordinated operations against ISWAP and Boko Haram factions across the region.

Recent operations have increasingly relied on joint air-ground coordination to target high-value leaders, destroy logistics hubs, and interdict movement routes used by insurgents operating in remote forest and lake regions.

Military authorities reiterated that operations will be sustained to further degrade terrorist capabilities, restore stability, and support the gradual return of normalcy to communities affected by insurgency in the North-East.

Major Blow to ISWAP as Troops Neutralise Over 50 Terrorists in North-East