Airstrikes reportedly kill 38 suspected terrorists in Borno

Airstrikes by Operation Hadin Kai have reportedly killed about 38 suspected terrorists in multiple precision airstrikes conducted across Borno State.

The strikes were carried out between the night of August 21 and the early hours of August 22, 2026, following intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions that detected movements of suspected terrorists in separate locations.

According to security analyst Zagazola Makama, the first operation took place around Aduwa at about 10:23 pm on Friday, after an armed reconnaissance aircraft received intelligence on the presence of terrorist vehicles and fighters.

The aircraft tracked the suspects to a settlement where several fighters had gathered.

A precision strike on the larger concentration was assessed to have killed approximately 16 suspected terrorists.

Makama said the operation continued after midnight, when the aircraft tracked about 10 terrorists who had fled the initial strike and regrouped near a tree.

He said another strike was subsequently carried out on the group, with battle damage assessment indicating that the 10 terrorists were also neutralised.

“The combined precision strike operations therefore accounted for approximately 26 terrorists,” Makama reported.

In a separate operation around Buratai, another precision strike platform tracked about 12 suspected terrorists to a hut.

The target was struck at about 12:31 am on Saturday after the necessary operational authorisation was obtained.

According to Makama, the strike achieved a direct hit and was assessed to have killed all 12 suspected terrorists gathered at the location.

The two operations therefore brought the reported number of suspected terrorists killed to about 38.

The strikes come as troops of Operation Hadin Kai intensify operations against terrorist networks across the North-East, targeting their leadership, logistics, fighting formations and freedom of movement.

Military sources cited in the report said the general security situation remains “calm but unpredictable”, while the morale and fighting efficiency of troops remain “satisfactory”.

Makama said the latest strikes were expected to further disrupt terrorist command-and-control structures and deny insurgents the opportunity to mass fighters without detection.

He added that terrorist groups were increasingly being forced to abandon large gatherings and adopt smaller, concealed movements.

“Concealment alone may no longer guarantee safety,” he said, adding that the development could be linked to a reported increase of more than 250 per cent in terrorist surrenders over the past month.