NAF Airstrikes Neutralise Nine ISWAP Fighters in Borno
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has neutralised nine Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters, including a key commander, in a precision air strike conducted in the Sambisa Forest area of Borno State.
The Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, disclosed this in a statement on the successful operation.
According to him, the operation followed credible intelligence on the movement and activities of suspected terrorists within the Sambisa Forest.
Acting on the intelligence, the NAF deployed a Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) for persistent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), enabling troops to identify and track a group of terrorists moving towards a suspected hideout.
Ejodame said that “following identification and confirmation of the target, the aircraft conducted a precision engagement on the location”.
Subsequent battle damage assessment indicated significant effects on the targeted compound, with several terrorists neutralised.
Further intelligence confirmed that nine ISWAP fighters were killed, while several others sustained injuries.
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Among those reportedly killed was Abu Khalid Al Muhajir, described as a prominent ISWAP commander responsible for providing special security escorts for the movement of senior members of the terrorist group.
The NAF said, “the elimination of the commander represented a significant operational setback for ISWAP, particularly because of his reported knowledge of routes, terrain and tactical movements linking major terrorist enclaves within the Sambisa Forest and surrounding areas”.
Intelligence also indicated that some of the terrorists affected by the strike were linked to elements suspected to have participated in the recent ambush of Nigerian troops along the Bita-Yamtage axis in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.
The latest operation, the NAF said, highlights the growing effectiveness of intelligence-driven air operations through the integration of persistent surveillance and precision strike capabilities to detect, track and neutralise terrorist elements before they can regroup or threaten troops and vulnerable communities.
The Air Force noted that the strike was expected to disrupt ISWAP’s leadership protection arrangements, movement of high-value personnel and coordination of activities across its enclaves.
The Nigerian Air Force said, “it would continue to sustain intelligence-led and precision air operations in close coordination with surface forces to degrade terrorist capabilities, restrict their freedom of movement and create a more secure environment for communities across the North-East”.
