Nigerian military wipes out ISWAP fighters in deadly Borno airstrike

The Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI has carried out a precision airstrike on a suspected Islamic State West Africa Province, ISWAP, hideout in the Southern Lake Chad region, killing several terrorists during a late-night operation in Borno State.

The development was reported by Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency and security analyst covering the Lake Chad region.

According to the report, the operation followed sustained intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, ISR, which detected significant terrorist activity around Arenna in Marte Local Government Area of Borno State.

Makama reported that the air mission commenced at about 10:35pm. on July 23 after intelligence indicated the movement of about 50 motorcycles allegedly belonging to terrorists within the area.

The report stated that the surveillance aircraft maintained overhead monitoring before launching a precision strike on a building identified as a terrorist hideout.

According to a Battle Damage Assessment, BDA, conducted after the operation, all terrorists inside the targeted structure were neutralised, while three other fighters outside the building were also killed.

“Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) conducted immediately after the strike confirmed that all terrorists inside the targeted structure were neutralised, while three additional fighters outside the building were also killed,” the report stated.

Makama further reported that three other suspected terrorists were seen fleeing the area after the strike, suggesting they survived the initial bombardment and attempted to escape.

According to the report, the surveillance aircraft remained over the area after the strike to monitor the scene and conduct follow-up engagements against any fleeing terrorists if necessary.

“The operation was intelligence-driven and executed with precision. The initial assessment indicates that the objective was successfully achieved, while surveillance continued to ensure that any surviving terrorists attempting to regroup or escape could be engaged,” a military source quoted in the report said.

Makama noted that the latest strike forms part of the ongoing air interdiction campaign by Operation HADIN KAI aimed at dismantling ISWAP and Boko Haram enclaves, disrupting their logistics and restricting their freedom of movement across the Lake Chad region.