By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
The Nigerian military has neutralised 16 suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters in coordinated air and artillery strikes on three suspected terrorist locations in the Tunbunma area of South Lake Chad.
The operation, conducted between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. on Monday, October 26, followed intelligence reports indicating the presence of key terrorist leaders and fighters at the targeted locations.
The Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East), Operation Hadin Kai, Captain Mohammed Goni, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday in Maiduguri, stating that the strikes formed part of sustained offensive operations against terrorist networks in the Lake Chad Basin.
According to Goni, the operation involved the deployment of air and ground weapon systems to engage the identified terrorist enclaves.
He said a Battle Damage Assessment indicated that 16 ISWAP fighters were neutralised across the three targeted locations.
Among those reportedly killed were Abu Zubiru, described as an Arab national, and two of his associates, Baana Nglewa and Jindullah Sadiq, alongside other fighters.
Goni added that Abu Saleem, identified as the Wali of Tunbunma, sustained severe injuries alongside seven other individuals during the operation.
He reaffirmed Operation Hadin Kai’s commitment to sustaining intelligence-led offensive operations against terrorist groups in the North-East, stressing that the military would continue efforts to dismantle terrorist networks and restore peace and normalcy to the region.
The military also urged members of the public to provide timely and credible information to security agencies to support ongoing counter-terrorism operations.
