Troops Airstrikes Kill Scores Of Terrorists In Borno

Air assets of the Joint Task Force North East, Operation Hadin Kai, have neutralised scores of suspected terrorists in multiple precision airstrikes across Borno State.

The military said the operations were carried out between the night of August 21 and the early hours of August 22, 2026, following intelligence reports and surveillance missions that identified movements and concentrations of suspected terrorists.

In a statement on Saturday, the Acting Military Information Officer of the Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, Captain Mohammed Goni, said the strikes targeted terrorist groups in the Aduwa axis of Monguno Local Government Area and Buratai in Biu LGA.

According to him, an armed reconnaissance aircraft first detected suspected terrorists around Aduwa before identifying a larger group gathered within a settlement.

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Following the required authorisation, the military conducted two precision strikes on the location.

“Subsequent Battle Damage Assessment indicated significant effects on the terrorist concentration with about 16 terrorists neutralised in 2 precision strikes,” the statement said.

The aircraft continued surveillance of the area and later detected another group of about 10 terrorists attempting to regroup away from the initial target.

Goni said a further precision strike was conducted against the group, with subsequent assessment indicating that the terrorists had also been successfully engaged.

In a separate operation around Buratai in Biu Local Government Area, another Operation Hadin Kai aircraft tracked a group of suspected terrorists gathered at a location before carrying out a precision strike.

The military said the operation “successfully impacted the identified target taking out about 10 other terrorists.”

The latest operations, according to the statement, demonstrate the growing effectiveness of the military’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities in detecting terrorist movements before they develop into threats against troops and communities.

It said the strikes were also intended to disrupt the terrorists’ ability to regroup, operate freely and maintain their logistics and command structures.

The military warned that attempts by terrorist groups to conceal their movements, disperse into smaller groups or operate from remote locations would not guarantee their safety from detection.

“The kinetic pressure being sustained against terrorist networks is complemented by Operation HADIN KAI’s non-kinetic efforts, including community engagement, strategic communication, counter-messaging, humanitarian coordination and encouragement of terrorists and their associates to abandon violence and surrender,” the statement added.

The Joint Task Force said the increasing number of terrorist surrenders recorded in recent weeks was an indication of the pressure being exerted on the groups and reinforced the availability of “a credible pathway away from terrorism.”

The military urged residents across the North-East to remain vigilant and provide timely and credible information to security forces to support ongoing counter-terrorism operations.

It said Operation Hadin Kai would continue coordinated operations against terrorist networks while working to create conditions for the restoration of peace and normal socio-economic activities across the region.