The military air strikes targeted locations around Gudumbali in Guzamala LGA, Badu and Mairari in Monguno LGA of Borno State, and Duste Uku in Gombi LGA of Adamawa State.
By Kehinde Okeowo
A total of 103 terrorists were reportedly neutralised by the Joint Task Force (North-East), Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), while their logistics hubs and storage facilities were destroyed in seven precision air strikes conducted across Borno and Adamawa states between October 10 and 18.
This was made known on Tuesday in a statement made available to journalists by the OPHK spokesperson, Captain Mohammed Goni.
According to him, the military air strikes involved coordinated deployments of Nigerian Army Aviation, the Nigerian Army Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (NARPAS) Regiment, and Air Component assets.
Also confirming the killing of the 103 Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters on X, a security analyst and counter-insurgency expert in the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, noted that the strikes targeted locations around Gudumbali in Guzamala Local Government Area, Badu and Mairari in Monguno LGA of Borno State, as well as Duste Uku in Gombi LGA of Adamawa State.
He added that one of the operations targeted an alternative residence of Abu Saleem, identified in the report as ISWAP’s Wali of South Lake Chad, in the Arina Woje area of Monguno.
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The military strikes followed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance activities on October 18. Subsequent human intelligence reportedly confirmed the deaths of Jindullah, described as Abu Saleem’s chief security guard, and Abul Kissa, a member of the group’s Shura Council.
Other suspected ISWAP fighters were also reportedly killed in the strike, while the targeted structure was destroyed alongside nine boat engines and several motorcycles.
In another operation on October 13, an air asset reportedly tracked 16 fighters from the Mairari axis to a gathering of more than 100 suspected terrorists accompanied by motorcycles.
The gathering was located about 23 kilometres east of Badu and 19 kilometres west of Monguno. A subsequent military air strike was assessed to have killed about 30 fighters, although the extent of damage to the motorcycles was not confirmed.
Other strikes targeted suspected ISWAP fighters and facilities around Gudumbali, Badu, Mairari and Duste Uku.
According to the report, the operations were aimed at disrupting the group’s leadership, restricting its movement and logistics, and denying it safe havens across the North-East
