Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have killed more than 40 Islamic State West Africa Province fighters, including a senior commander, in an airstrike on a terrorist hideout in Borno State.
The Nigerian Army said the operation was carried out on October 10, 2026, at Badu Village, south of Gudumbali in Guzamala Local Government Area of the state.
According to the military, the insurgents were preparing to launch coordinated attacks on troops operating within Sector 3 of the theatre when the airstrike was conducted.
The Acting Military Information Officer of the Northeast Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, Capt. Mohammed Goni, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.
Goni said the operation was executed by the Air Component of the joint task force following intelligence reports indicating terrorist movements around suspected hideouts and logistics facilities.
He explained that aerial surveillance was deployed to monitor the area before a precision strike was launched against a building occupied by the insurgents.
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“Preliminary Human Intelligence and Battle Damage Assessment indicate that over 40 terrorists, including a prominent ISWAP Qaid (commander), were neutralised in the strike,” the statement said.
The military added that two vehicles and approximately 20 motorcycles used by the fighters for transportation, logistics and offensive operations were destroyed during the operation.
It said the destruction of the equipment had weakened the group’s operational capacity and disrupted its planned attacks on military positions and nearby communities.
Further intelligence gathered after the operation reportedly indicated that the fighters belonged to ISWAP’s Murabitun element, a specialised mobile unit responsible for patrols, coordinating attacks and sustaining the group’s activities in the area.
The Army described the strike as a significant setback for the insurgents, particularly their ability to organise attacks and maintain operations around the Lake Chad region.
It reaffirmed the commitment of the Joint Task Force to intensifying coordinated air and ground offensives against terrorist groups in the North-East.
The military also said the operations would continue to focus on eliminating security in threats, protecting vulnerable communities and supporting efforts to restore lasting peace and stability across the region.