Air strikes neutralise 40 ISWAP terrorists in Borno

At least 40 fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have been neutralised following coordinated air strikes conducted by the military under Operation Hadin Kai in Borno State.

The offensive was launched after intelligence surveillance detected a massive gathering of terrorist elements preparing for an attack.

The precision strikes were executed in the early hours of Tuesday around the Wulgo-Momaduru axis in Ngala Local Government Area. The military targeted a major concentration of fighters about 1.5 kilometres north-west of the area, which instantly eliminated about 30 terrorists and destroyed a motorcycle.

After the initial impact, surviving terrorists according to the military were seen attempting to flee and seeking cover beneath trees in the surrounding area. The military maintained aerial surveillance, tracking their movements to a new concentration point, before authorizing a second precision strike.

Post-strike assessments confirmed that 10 additional fighters were neutralised, bringing the total number of dead terrorists to 40.

According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication focused on the Lake Chad region, the successful joint operations are a setback for ISWAP elements who continue to exploit the difficult terrain of remote settlements.

“The operation also illustrated the importance of sustained intelligence gathering, aerial surveillance and precision targeting in disrupting terrorist concentrations before they can reorganise, reinforce their positions or launch attacks against military formations and civilian communities.”