Military says air strikes killed 103 ISWAP fighters in eight days
- Operation Hadin Kai says seven air strikes between 10 and 18 October killed 103 ISWAP fighters.
- Targets included locations in Borno and Adamawa states and the alternate home of an ISWAP commander.
- The military says it also destroyed boat engines, motorcycles and logistics stores.
The military says air strikes in Borno and Adamawa states killed 103 fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in eight days, between 10 and 18 October.
The Joint Task Force North-East, Operation Hadin Kai, announced the figure in a statement by its acting military information officer, Captain Mohammed Goni.
It said the strikes were carried out by Nigerian Army Aviation, the Nigerian Army Remotely Piloted Aircraft (NARPAS) Regiment and air component assets.
Where the strikes hit
According to the statement, the seven strikes hit targets around Gudumbali in Guzamala Local Government Area (LGA) on 10 October, and Badu in Monguno LGA on 11 October.
Others were at Mairari in Guzamala LGA and an area east of Badu on 13 October, and Duste Uku in Gombi LGA of Adamawa State on 16 October.
The last strike, on 18 October, hit what the military described as the alternate residence of Abu Saleem, said to be ISWAP's Wali of South Lake Chad, in the Arina Woje area of Monguno LGA.
Captain Goni said follow-up intelligence confirmed the killing of Jindullah, described as Abu Saleem's chief security guard, and Abul Kissa, said to be a member of the group's Shura Council, along with other fighters at the site.
The statement said the strike destroyed the building, nine boat engines and several motorcycles kept there.
On the 13 October operation, the military said an aircraft tracked 16 fighters from the Mairari axis to a gathering of more than 100 fighters with motorcycles, about 23 kilometres east of Badu and 19 kilometres west of Monguno LGA. It said about 30 fighters were assessed killed in that strike, while damage to the motorcycles was not confirmed.
What it means
The military says the campaign has disrupted ISWAP's command structure, storage points and ability to move fighters and supplies in the Lake Chad area.
It did not give a breakdown of civilian casualties or independent confirmation of the toll. The figures come from the military's own account.
For residents of Borno and Adamawa, the strikes are part of a long-running effort to keep armed groups away from farming and fishing communities around Lake Chad, where movement has been restricted for years.
The military said it would keep up the pressure with ground forces and air assets, and that it remained resolute in denying terrorists safe havens.
