Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Nigerian military has dealt a significant blow to the Islamic State West Africa Province, killing more than 30 of its fighters in a series of precision air strikes conducted in the Lake Chad region of Borno State. The operation, carried out under the ongoing counter-insurgency campaign Operation HADIN KAI, targeted a major terrorist logistics hub around the Kaniram Island area following credible intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance reports. The strikes not only neutralised dozens of fighters but also destroyed a substantial number of boats used by the terrorists for movement and supply across the region’s waterways.
According to Zagazola Makama, a security analyst focused on the Lake Chad region, the operation was launched after intelligence reports indicated significant terrorist activity involving logistics movement via waterways around the Kaniram Island axis. An ISR platform deployed to the area established an overhead presence and confirmed the sighting of approximately 31 boats dispersed along the riverbank, with associated human activity consistent with ISWAP fighters. Upon positive identification, the air component of the military initiated precision strike operations in line with established rules of engagement and targeting protocols. The first strike effectively disrupted the terrorists’ hub and degraded their logistics capability by damaging several of the boats used for movement and supply across the waterways.
The military continued to monitor the area, and further ISR operations revealed attempts by the surviving terrorists to regroup within nearby vegetation. Consequently, follow-on strikes were conducted. A second precision strike targeted a cluster of about eight terrorists, neutralising them, while additional elements were observed withdrawing into concealed positions. A third strike was then executed on another group of approximately 15 terrorists who had taken cover under tree foliage, resulting in their elimination. According to Zagazola, a battle damage assessment confirmed significant attrition, with surviving elements seen dispersing from adjacent hideouts.
In a related strike mission at a location identified as Sowolwolo, military air assets engaged and neutralised nine additional terrorists identified within the area. Residual elements were observed fleeing in disarray, indicating a loss of cohesion and command structure. The Nigerian military command reiterated that the operation illustrated its sustained commitment to precision targeting, minimising collateral damage while maximising operational impact against terrorist elements. The air strikes have reportedly forced ISWAP to conduct mass burials for their dead. A viral video shared on social media by Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency expert, shows fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province burying about 30 of their members following the devastating airstrikes by the Nigerian military in parts of northern Borno State.
Credible military sources told Zagazola Makama that the terrorists conducted burial rites in the Mallam Fatori axis after the series of precision air interdiction missions. The sources said the strikes were executed after intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance reports confirmed the movement of ISWAP fighters along waterways around the Kaniram Island area. The burial activities observed serve as clear confirmation of the scale of losses inflicted on the terrorist group, as an ISR platform had earlier observed a large number of boats estimated at over 30 positioned along the riverbank, with associated human activity indicating the presence of terrorists coordinating logistics and movement. Following positive identification, air assets conducted multiple precision strikes on the targets.
The Nigerian military has reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining pressure on terrorist groups and consolidating gains recorded in ongoing operations aimed at restoring peace and stability in the North East. Zagazola said the military stated that ISR missions and air strikes would continue alongside ground operations to build on the gains made and restrict the movement of terrorists. The military also reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining air superiority and helping to restore peace and stability in the north-east. The successful air strikes in the Lake Chad region come just days after troops of Operation Hadin Kai arrested a suspected Boko Haram and ISWAP logistics courier in Monguno Local Government Area of Borno State, indicating the sustained pressure being placed on the terrorist groups.
The operation marks a significant escalation in the ongoing counter-insurgency campaign in the North-East, where the military has been working to dismantle the remaining strongholds of ISWAP and Boko Haram. The Lake Chad region has long been a key operational base for these terrorist groups, providing them with access to waterways and remote islands that serve as hideouts. The destruction of the logistics hub and the neutralisation of over 30 fighters is a significant victory for the military, but it is also a stark reminder of the ongoing threat posed by these groups to the region’s stability. The military command has stated that it will continue to conduct similar operations to ensure that the terrorists are denied the freedom to operate and that the people of the North-East can live in peace.
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