By Emmanuel Nduka
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) recently announced that it has dealt a major blow to the Islamic State West Africa Province, killing nine of its fighters, including a senior commander, in a precision air strike in Borno State, northeastern Nigeria.
The NAF said the operation, conducted on Saturday, August 8, followed credible intelligence on the movement and activities of suspected ISWAP terrorists within the Sambisa Forest area of the state.
According to a statement its Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the Air Force deployed a Remotely Piloted Aircraft to conduct persistent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance operations over the area.
The surveillance enabled the military to identify and track a group of terrorists as they moved towards a suspected hideout.
After positive identification and confirmation of the target, the aircraft carried out a precision strike on the location.
A subsequent battle damage assessment indicated that the strike had significant effects on the targeted compound, with several terrorists killed and others wounded.
Further intelligence later confirmed that nine ISWAP fighters were killed in the operation.
Among those eliminated was Abu Khalid Al Muhajir, described by the NAF as a prominent commander responsible for providing special security escorts for the movement of senior members of the terrorist group.
His death, according to the Air Force, represents a significant operational setback for ISWAP, given his reported knowledge of routes, terrain and tactical movements linking major terrorist enclaves within the Sambisa Forest and surrounding areas.
Intelligence gathered after the operation also indicated that some of the terrorists affected by the strike were linked to elements suspected of involvement in the recent ambush of Nigerian troops along the Bita-Yamtage axis in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.
The latest strike highlights the increasing role of intelligence-driven air operations in the military’s campaign against terrorism in the North-East, particularly through the integration of persistent surveillance with precision strike capabilities.
The NAF said the operation is expected to disrupt ISWAP’s leadership protection arrangements, restrict the movement of high-value personnel and weaken the group’s ability to coordinate activities across its various enclaves.
The Air Force reiterated its commitment to sustained intelligence-led and precision air operations in coordination with ground forces to degrade terrorist capabilities, restrict their freedom of movement and create a safer environment for communities across the North-East.
