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The military says an intelligence-led air strike killed more than 40 ISWAP fighters, including a senior commander, at Badu Village in Guzamala Local Government Area of Borno State.
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Operation HADIN KAI said the October 10 strike was launched after intelligence indicated that the insurgents were gathering to carry out coordinated attacks on troops operating within Sector 3.
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Two vehicles and about 20 motorcycles allegedly used for combat, logistics and movement were destroyed during the operation, according to a preliminary battle damage assessment.
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The military identified those targeted as members of ISWAP’s Murabitun mobile fighting unit, saying the strike disrupted the group’s operations around the Lake Chad axis.
October 12, (THEWILL) – The Nigerian military has said more than 40 fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), including a prominent commander, were killed in an air strike on a terrorist enclave in Borno State.
The operation, carried out by the Air Component of the Joint Task Force, North East, Operation HADIN KAI, targeted Badu Village, south of Gudumbali in Guzamala Local Government Area, on Saturday, October 10, 2026.
In a statement on Monday, the Military Information Officer at the Headquarters of the Joint Task Force, Captain Mohammed Goni, said the intelligence-driven operation followed reports that a large number of ISWAP fighters had gathered in the area ahead of planned attacks on military formations.
According to him, intelligence indicated that the insurgents were preparing to launch coordinated attacks against troops operating within Sector 3 of Operation HADIN KAI.
Following the intelligence, the Air Component conducted aerial surveillance of the area, during which movements around suspected terrorist hideouts and logistics facilities were identified.
Goni said a precision air strike was subsequently carried out on a building occupied by the insurgents.
“Preliminary Human Intelligence, Battle Damage Assessment indicates that over 40 terrorists, including a prominent ISWAP Qaid (commander), were neutralised in the strike,” he said.
The military did not disclose the identity of the commander or provide an independently verified casualty figure. It said further assessment was underway to determine the full extent of the damage caused by the operation.
According to the statement, two vehicles and approximately 20 motorcycles used by the insurgents for mobility, logistics and offensive operations were also destroyed.
The military said the destruction of the equipment had weakened the fighters’ ability to move personnel and supplies and disrupted their preparations for attacks on troops and communities in the area.
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Specialised ISWAP Unit Targeted
Further intelligence, according to Operation HADIN KAI, identified the fighters as members of ISWAP’s Murabitun element, described by the military as a specialised mobile fighting unit involved in patrols, attack coordination and sustaining insurgent activities in the area.
The military said the destruction of the enclave and operational assets represented a significant setback for ISWAP’s ability to carry out attacks and sustain operations around the Lake Chad region.
It added that the strike demonstrated the growing use of intelligence, aerial surveillance and technology in identifying and attacking insurgent positions before planned operations could be executed.
“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,” Goni said.
He added that troops would continue coordinated air and ground operations against terrorist groups in the North-East.
Background
ISWAP remains one of the principal armed groups confronting Nigerian and regional forces in the North-East, particularly around northern Borno and the Lake Chad basin.
The group emerged from a factional split within Boko Haram and has over the years maintained cells and mobile fighting units in difficult-to-access areas around Lake Chad, from where fighters have launched attacks on military positions and communities.
Guzamala and neighbouring parts of northern Borno have remained important theatres of military operations because of their proximity to routes and enclaves used by insurgents for movement, logistics and attacks.
Operation HADIN KAI is the Nigerian military’s counter-insurgency operation in the North-East, involving coordinated ground and air campaigns against ISWAP and Boko Haram elements.
The latest strike comes amid continuing military operations aimed at dismantling insurgent enclaves, restricting fighters’ movement and preventing attacks on troops and civilian communities across Borno and the wider Lake Chad region.
The Joint Task Force said it would sustain its offensive to eliminate terrorist threats, protect vulnerable communities, and consolidate efforts to restore peace and stability in the North-East.
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