The air force has reported the killing of nine Islamic State West Africa Province (I SWAP) fighters, including a senior commander, in a precision airstrike conducted in the Sambisa Forest area of Borno State.
The operation, carried out on Saturday, August 8, 2026, was launched following intelligence indicating the movement and activities of suspected terrorists within the forest.
Director of Public Relations and Information, Airforce Headquarters, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Sunday.
Ejodame said the air force deployed a remotely piloted aircraft for sustained Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations after receiving credible information about the terrorists’ activities.
According to him, the surveillance operation enabled the military to identify and track a group of ISWAP fighters as they moved towards a suspected hideout.
After confirming the identity of the targets, the aircraft carried out a precision strike on the location.
A subsequent battle damage assessment indicated that the operation had a significant impact on the targeted compound, with several terrorists neutralised.
The NAF later received additional intelligence confirming that nine ISWAP fighters were killed in the strike, while several others sustained injuries.
Among those reportedly killed was Abu Khalid Al Muhajir, whom the air force identified as a prominent ISWAP commander.
The NAF said Al Muhajir was responsible for providing special security escorts for senior members of the terrorist group as they moved between locations.
His role, according to the military, involved knowledge of routes, terrain and tactical movements connecting major terrorist enclaves within the Sambisa Forest and surrounding areas.
The air force consequently described his reported death as a major operational setback for ISWAP, particularly in terms of the group’s ability to protect and move high-value personnel.
The NAF also disclosed that intelligence gathered after the operation suggested that some of the terrorists affected by the strike were connected to elements suspected of taking part in the recent ambush of Nigerian troops along the Bita-Yamtage axis in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.
The latest air operation, the service said, underscores the importance of intelligence-led military operations in tackling terrorist groups in the North-East.
It noted that the integration of persistent aerial surveillance with precision strike capabilities allowed the military to track the terrorists and engage them after confirming their location.
The NAF said the operation was expected to disrupt ISWAP’s leadership protection network, restrict the movement of senior commanders and weaken the coordination of activities across the group’s various enclaves.
The service reaffirmed that it would continue to carry out intelligence-driven and precision air operations in collaboration with ground troops.
It said the coordinated operations were aimed at degrading terrorist capabilities, limiting their freedom of movement and creating a safer environment for communities across the North-East.
