- Safiu Kehinde
No fewer than nine Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters have been neutralised in a precision air strike by the Nigeria Air Force in Borno State.
Also eliminated in the strike was a key commander responsible for escorting high-value members of the group.
This was made known in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, by the Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF headquarters, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame.
According to Ejodame, the operation, conducted on Saturday in the Sambisa Forest area, followed credible intelligence on terrorist movement and activities.
The air force deployed a Remotely Piloted Aircraft, RPA, to conduct Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, ISR, on the area.
“The aircraft tracked a group of terrorists moving towards a suspected hideout.
“Following positive identification and confirmation of the target, NAF aircraft conducted a precision engagement on the location,” Ejodame said.
According to reports, a subsequent battle damage assessment showed that the compound was heavily hit, with nine terrorists confirmed killed and several others wounded.
Among those neutralised was Abu Khalid Al Muhajir, described as a prominent ISWAP commander in charge of providing special security escorts for senior members of the group.
Ejodame said his elimination was a major setback for ISWAP, given his reported knowledge of routes, terrain and tactical movements linking major terrorist enclaves within Sambisa forest and surrounding areas.
Intelligence also indicated that some of the fighters affected by the strike were linked to elements suspected to have carried out the recent ambush of Nigerian troops along the Bita–Yamtage axis in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.
He also said that the operation highlighted the growing effectiveness of air force intelligence-driven air campaign, combining persistent ISR with precision strikes to detect and neutralise terrorists before they regroup.
“Beyond the immediate casualties, the operation is expected to disrupt ISWAP’s leadership protection arrangements, movement of high-value personnel and coordination of activities across its enclaves,” the statement added.
He reaffirmed NAF commitment to sustaining intelligence-led and precision air operations in close coordination with ground troops to degrade terrorist capabilities and secure communities in the North East