Troops kill 16 suspected ISWAP fighters in Lake Chad air strikes
- Operation Hadin Kai hit three suspected ISWAP locations in Tunbunma, South Lake Chad, between 1am and 2am on Monday.
- The military said 16 fighters were killed, including an Arab national named Abu Zubiru and two associates.
- Abu Saleem, described as the Wali of Tunbunma, was severely injured along with seven other fighters.
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have killed 16 suspected fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in air and artillery strikes on three locations in the Tunbunma area of South Lake Chad.
The military said the strikes were carried out between 1am and 2am on Monday, October 26, 2026, after intelligence reports showed that key terrorist leaders and fighters were gathered in the area.
The operation was announced in a statement signed by Captain Mohammed Goni, Acting Military Information Officer at the headquarters of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation Hadin Kai.
Goni said air and ground weapon systems were used against the identified locations, and that the battle damage assessment showed 16 fighters were killed across the three targets.
Names released by the military
According to the statement, those killed included Abu Zubiru, described as an Arab national, and two associates identified as Baana Nglewa and Jindullah Sadiq, alongside other fighters.
The military also said Abu Saleem, identified as the Wali of Tunbunma, was severely injured along with seven other fighters.
“Operation Hadin Kai reaffirms that there is no hiding place for terrorists and remains committed to restoring peace and normalcy,” the statement said.
The task force urged members of the public to pass timely and credible information to security agencies to support counter-terrorism operations.
Why it matters
The Lake Chad Basin spreads across Nigeria's North East and neighbouring countries, and ISWAP has for years attacked soldiers, farmers and travellers in the region. Each strike on its camps is meant to weaken its ability to plan attacks.
For residents of Borno and nearby states, the military's account is a claim of progress in a fight that has displaced millions of people and disrupted farming and trade. The figures come from the military's own assessment, and no independent toll was given.
In a separate statement on Monday, the Joint Task Force North-West, Operation Fansan Yamma, said its troops killed eight suspected terrorists and rescued three kidnapped victims in Katsina, Kaduna and Zamfara states.
Its Media Information Officer, Captain Tamuno Sinivie, said troops acting on a distress call from farmers at Machika Dam in Sabuwa Local Government Area of Katsina State engaged the suspects in a gun battle on Saturday, October 24, killing two while others fled.
The operations also led to the recovery of an AK-47 rifle, three locally made guns, three motorcycles, cutlasses and assorted charms, according to the statement.
What happens next: The military says it will keep running intelligence-led operations in the North East and North West, and is asking Nigerians to report suspicious movement to security agencies.
