Air strike kills over 40 ISWAP fighters in Borno, military says

The Air Component of the Joint Task Force, North East, Operation HADIN KAI, says it killed more than 40 Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters, including a prominent commander, in a precision air strike in Borno.

 

The strike, carried out on Oct. 10, hit a terrorist enclave at Badu Village, south of Gudumbali in Guzamala Local Government Area of the state.

 

Capt. Mohammed Goni, Spokesman of the Headquarters Joint Task Force, North East, Operation HADIN KAI, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday in Maiduguri.

 

According to Goni, the operation was launched after credible intelligence indicated that ISWAP fighters were assembling to stage coordinated attacks on troops operating within Sector 3's area of responsibility.

 

He said the Air Component quickly deployed aerial surveillance to track terrorist movements around suspected hideouts and logistics facilities, before striking a building occupied by the fighters.

 

The spokesman said preliminary human intelligence and battle damage assessment showed that more than 40 terrorists, including a prominent ISWAP commander, were neutralised. The statement did not name the commander.

 

He added that two vehicles and about 20 motorcycles used by the fighters for mobility, logistics and offensive operations were also destroyed.

 

Goni said further intelligence showed that the fighters belonged to ISWAP's Murabitun element, a specialised mobile unit responsible for patrols, coordinating attacks and sustaining terrorist activities in the area.

 

He said the destruction of the enclave and its operational assets would significantly weaken the group's capacity and disrupt planned attacks on military positions and surrounding communities.

 

The casualty figures are the military's preliminary account. Goni said further assessment was ongoing to determine the full extent of the damage inflicted on the terrorists.

 

He described the strike as evidence of the effectiveness of intelligence-led and technology-enabled air operations in dismantling terrorist networks and restricting their freedom of action.

 

Goni reaffirmed the Joint Task Force's commitment to sustained, coordinated air and ground operations to eliminate terrorist threats, protect vulnerable communities and restore lasting peace and stability across the North-East.