Troops of the Nigerian military attached to the air component of Operation Hadin Kai have bombed terrorists’ enclaves situated within the Sambisa Forest area of Borno State.
During the operation, no fewer than nine commanders of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters were killed.
The operation, which was conducted on Saturday, was carried out following intelligence that revealed the activities and movement of suspected terrorists within the Sambisa Forest area.
Among those reportedly neutralised was Abu Khalid Al Muhajir, described as a prominent ISWAP commander responsible for providing special security escorts for the movement of senior members of the terrorist group.
Confirming the operation via a statement issued on Sunday, the spokesman of the Nigerian Air Force, Ehimen Ejodame, said several other ISWAP fighters were wounded.
‘Acting on the intelligence, the NAF deployed a Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) to conduct persistent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), enabling the identification and tracking of a group of terrorists as they moved towards a suspected hideout.
‘Following identification and confirmation of the target, the NAF aircraft conducted a precision engagement on the location,’ Ejodame, an Air Commodore, explained.
The senior military officer noted that intelligence further indicated that some of the terrorists affected by the strike were assessed to be linked to elements suspected to have been involved in the recent ambush of Nigerian troops along the Bita-Yamtage axis in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.
He added, ‘Subsequent battle damage assessment indicated significant effects on the targeted compound, with several terrorists neutralised.
‘Further intelligence received after the strike confirmed that nine ISWAP fighters were killed, while several others were wounded.
‘His elimination represents a significant operational setback for ISWAP, particularly given his reported knowledge of routes, terrain and tactical movements connecting major terrorist enclaves within the Sambisa Forest and surrounding areas.’