The Nigerian military has recorded another major success in its ongoing counter-insurgency campaign in the North-East, with the air component of Operation Hadin Kai neutralising 27 terrorists during coordinated air interdiction missions across key insurgent strongholds in Borno State.
According to an operational report released on Sunday, the strikes targeted terrorist enclaves in the Southern and Northern Tumbuns areas, long regarded as strategic hideouts for Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters operating around the Lake Chad Basin.
The operation followed a series of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance missions that tracked movements within the insurgents’ camps and identified active terrorist locations before the strikes were launched.
Military authorities disclosed that the first operation was carried out at about 12:40 a.m. on June 10 in Dawoshe, a known terrorist enclave in the Southern Tumbuns area.
During aerial surveillance, air assets comprising Dragon attack platforms and ISR aircraft detected terrorists vehicles within the area. The targets were subsequently engaged in a precision strike.
A post-strike Battle Damage Assessment later confirmed that the vehicles were destroyed while 12 terrorists were neutralised during the operation.
On the same day, the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai carried out another precision strike at Metele in the Northern Tumbuns area of Guzamala Local Government Area.
Military authorities said intelligence gathered before the mission indicated heightened terrorist activity around concealed structures believed to be serving as operational bases and logistics hubs for insurgent elements.
Subsequent assessments supported by intelligence sources confirmed that 15 terrorists were killed in the strike.
The military described the operations as part of sustained efforts to degrade terrorist capabilities, disrupt logistics networks and deny insurgents freedom of movement across the North-East theatre.
The latest air offensives come amid renewed military pressure on terrorist groups operating within the Lake Chad region. In recent weeks, Operation Hadin Kai has intensified coordinated air and ground operations targeting insurgent camps, logistics routes and command structures across Borno State.
The Tumbuns, a network of marshlands and islands around Lake Chad, have historically served as safe havens for insurgent groups due to their difficult terrain and limited accessibility.
Military officials believe sustained air interdiction campaigns in the region are weakening the operational capacity of terrorists group and restricting their ability to coordinate attacks against communities and security formations.
The Armed Forces of Nigeria reiterated their commitment to maintaining offensive operations against terrorist strongholds, insisting that ongoing campaigns will continue until lasting peace and stability are restored across the North-East.
Although military authorities did not disclose the identities of those killed, officials said follow-up assessments and surveillance missions were ongoing to determine the full impact of the operations.
