More than 40 fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), including a prominent commander, were killed in an air strike on a terrorist enclave at Badu Village, south of Gudumbali in Guzamala Local Government Area of Borno State, the military has said.

The strike was carried out on Saturday, October 10, by the Air Component of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation Hadin Kai. Gudumbali is located about 120 kilometres north of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

In a statement issued in Maiduguri on Monday, October 12, the Military Information Officer of Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East), Operation Hadin Kai, Captain Mohammed Goni, said the operation followed credible intelligence that ISWAP fighters were assembling to launch coordinated attacks on troops in Sector 3 of the command's area of operations.

According to the statement, the Air Component conducted aerial surveillance, tracked movements around suspected hideouts and logistics facilities, and subsequently struck a building occupied by the fighters.

“Preliminary Human Intelligence, Battle Damage Assessment indicates that over 40 terrorists, including a prominent ISWAP Qaid (commander), were neutralised in the strike,” the statement said.

The military added that two vehicles and about 20 motorcycles used by the fighters for mobility, logistics and offensive operations were also destroyed. It said the losses had weakened the group's operational capacity and disrupted its planned attacks on military positions and nearby communities.

Further intelligence indicated that the fighters belonged to ISWAP's Murabitun element, described by the military as a specialised mobile unit responsible for patrols, coordinating attacks and sustaining the group's activities in the area.

The military characterised the destruction of the enclave and its assets as a significant setback to ISWAP's ability to carry out attacks in the Lake Chad region.

It added that further assessments were ongoing to determine the full extent of the damage.

The Joint Task Force said the operation demonstrated the importance of intelligence-led, technology-enabled and coordinated air operations in disrupting terrorist networks. It reaffirmed its commitment to eliminating terrorist threats, protecting vulnerable communities and restoring lasting peace and stability across Nigeria's North-East.