Precision airstrike hits suspected ISWAP gathering in Borno

The Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI has carried out a precision airstrike on a suspected gathering of Islamic State West Africa Province, ISWAP, fighters in Yaganari, Borno State, as part of ongoing military operations against insurgents in the North-East.

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

According to the report, the operation was conducted in the early hours of July 17 after intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, ISR, assets tracked the movement of suspected terrorists to what military sources described as a larger gathering.

Makama reported that surveillance operations commenced after troops received credible intelligence on suspected terrorist activities within the Yaganari area.

The report stated that aerial surveillance first tracked four suspected terrorists moving through the area before two of them led operators to another location where about 12 suspected ISWAP fighters had gathered.

“After confirming the target and ensuring operational parameters were met, a precision strike was executed against the location at about 12:32 a.m.,hitting the gathering,” the report stated.

According to Makama, preliminary battle damage assessment conducted after the strike indicated that an unconfirmed number of the suspected ISWAP fighters were neutralised, while several others fled the area in different directions.

The report added that military surveillance aircraft remained over the location after the strike to monitor the fleeing suspects and identify further opportunities for follow-up operations.

Makama further reported that military authorities described the operation as another intelligence-driven offensive aimed at disrupting terrorist activities, degrading the operational capability of suspected ISWAP fighters and preventing them from regrouping.

Makama said the latest operation forms part of the ongoing air campaign under Operation HADIN KAI targeting suspected terrorist enclaves, logistics hubs and movement corridors across Borno State in support of ground operations.