Terrorists’ Commanders, Fighters in Disarray as NAF Airstrikes Pound Enclaves in Borno Forests, Kill Over 26
Linus Aleke in Abuja The military said the leadership of terrorist groups operating in the North-east, including commanders and fighters, was in panic mode as the Air Component of Task
The military reported that leaders of terrorist groups in northeast Nigeria were reportedly in a state of panic as airstrikes intensified against their strongholds in Borno State. The Air Task Force, operating under Operation Hadin Kai, has been targeting terrorist hideouts in Monguno and Biu Local Government Areas (LGAs) with precision-guided munitions. Over 26 terrorists were killed in the operations, according to Captain Mohammed Goni, the Acting Military Information Officer of the Joint Task Force North-East.
Goni revealed that the airstrikes were the result of credible intelligence and follow-up surveillance missions that tracked the movement of suspected terrorists. In one operation, an armed reconnaissance platform detected a group of terrorists near Aduwa axis in Monguno LGA before identifying a larger cluster within a settlement.
The precise strikes resulted in the neutralisation of about 16 terrorists. Additional operations in Biu LGA found another group of terrorists attempting to regroup and also targeted them, resulting in the death of about 10 more.
Goni emphasized the effectiveness of Operation Hadin Kai's integrated intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities in detecting and disrupting terrorist movements. He stated that the operations also demonstrated that terrorists' attempts to conceal their activities or disperse into smaller groups would not protect them from detection. The strikes have weakened terrorist networks, disrupted their command and control, and increased pressure on their logistics and fighting formations.
The military has been complementing the airstrikes with non-kinetic efforts, such as community engagement, strategic communication, counter-messaging, humanitarian coordination, and encouraging surrender. Recent weeks have seen a growing number of terrorist fighters surrendering to state forces, indicating the growing pressure on terrorist networks. Goni urged the public to remain vigilant and provide timely information to security forces.
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