Troops kill over 30 ISWAP terrorists in fresh Borno offensive — Military

The Nigerian military says it has killed over 30 terrorists during a coordinated offensive operation carried out by troops of the Joint Task Force (North-East), Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), in Borno State.

The operation, conducted between the night of April 21 and 22, 2026, also involved precision airstrikes that targeted and destroyed Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) logistics networks along the Lake Chad waterways around the Kaniram Island axis in northern Borno.

According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force North-East, Lt. Col. Sani Uba, the strikes were carried out after credible intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) confirmed terrorist movements and logistics buildup in the area.

The military said aerial assets maintained continuous surveillance and identified over 30 terrorist boats engaged in coordination and resupply operations before the strikes were executed.

“Target validation and positive identification were carefully achieved, ensuring high targeting fidelity prior to engagement,” the statement said.

Following confirmation, the air component launched precision strikes that destroyed several boats and disrupted the terrorists’ logistics network, effectively degrading their mobility and operational capacity.

The military further disclosed that follow-up strikes on fleeing and regrouping terrorists within nearby vegetation led to the neutralisation of more than 30 fighters, while survivors were seen escaping in disarray.

In a separate operation, additional precision-guided strikes were carried out at Sowolwolo in the Sambisa Forest axis, destroying three gun trucks and eliminating further terrorists in the area.

The military said battle damage assessments indicated significant enemy losses, including evidence of mass burial activities by ISWAP elements around the Mallam Fatori axis.

Ground troops, according to the statement, are currently exploiting the gains of the airstrikes to secure surrounding areas and prevent regrouping by fleeing insurgents.

The military high command commended troops for their performance and reiterated its commitment to sustaining offensive operations until terrorist groups are completely dismantled across the theatre of operations.