NAF airstrike kills nine ISWAP fighters, key commander in Borno
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has killed nine fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), including a key commander, in a precision airstrike on a suspected 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.
The NAF, acting on the intelligence, deployed a Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) for persistent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), which enabled the military to identify and track the terrorists as they moved towards a suspected hideout.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF Headquarters, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the aircraft conducted a precision strike after positive identification and confirmation of the target.
Ejodame said subsequent battle damage assessment indicated significant effects on the targeted compound, with several terrorists neutralised.
He added that further intelligence received after the strike confirmed that nine ISWAP fighters were killed, while several others sustained injuries.
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 the elimination of the commander 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.
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The statement further disclosed that some of the terrorists affected by the strike were suspected to be linked to elements involved in the recent ambush of Nigerian troops along the Bita-Yamtage axis in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.
The latest operation, according to the NAF, underscores the growing effectiveness of intelligence-driven air operations through the integration of persistent surveillance and precision strike capabilities.
The Air Force said the approach enables it to detect, track and engage terrorist elements before they can regroup or pose further threats to troops and vulnerable communities.
Beyond the casualties inflicted, the NAF said the operation was expected to disrupt ISWAP’s leadership protection arrangements, movement of high-value personnel and coordination of activities across its enclaves.
The Air Force assured that it would sustain intelligence-led and precision air operations in collaboration with surface forces to degrade terrorist capabilities, restrict their freedom of movement and improve security in affected communities across the North-East.
