By Odita Sunday
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has killed nine Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters, including a key commander, in a precision airstrike on a terrorist hideout in the Sambisa Forest area of Borno State.
The operation, conducted on Saturday, August 8, 2026, followed credible intelligence on the movement and activities of suspected terrorists within the forest.
According to the Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF Headquarters, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the operation was executed after a Remotely Piloted Aircraft conducted persistent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), enabling the force to identify and track the terrorists as they moved towards a suspected hideout.
He said the target was engaged after positive identification and confirmation, while subsequent battle damage assessment revealed significant effects on the targeted compound.
“Further intelligence received after the strike confirmed that nine ISWAP fighters were killed, while several others were wounded,” Ejodame said in a statement issued on Sunday.
Among those killed was reportedly Abu Khalid Al Muhajir, described by the NAF as a prominent ISWAP commander responsible for providing special security escorts for the movement of senior members of the terrorist group.
The NAF said his elimination represented 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 also indicated that some of the terrorists affected in the strike were linked to elements suspected to have participated in the recent ambush of Nigerian troops along the Bita-Yamtage axis in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.
Ejodame said the latest operation demonstrated the growing effectiveness of the NAF’s intelligence-driven air campaign, particularly through the integration of persistent surveillance and precision strike capabilities.
According to him, the operation was expected to disrupt ISWAP’s leadership protection arrangements, movement of high-value personnel and coordination of activities across its enclaves.
He added that the NAF would continue to sustain intelligence-led and precision air operations in coordination with surface forces to degrade terrorist capabilities, restrict their freedom of movement and enhance security across affected communities in the North-East.
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