Nigerian Air Force Airstrikes Reportedly Eliminate 3 ISWAP Commanders and Other Fighters in Borno

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai has reportedly eliminated three commanders of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) and several other fighters in the Marte and Kukawa areas of Borno State, according to SaharaReporters.

The ISWAP commanders killed by the NAF airstrikes on Wednesday include Abou Maimuna, Abou Zahra and Commander Saleh.

A counter-insurgency expert focused on the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, reports that the operations were coordinated by the new Air Component Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, Air Commodore UU Idris, after NAF Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft spotted the terrorists moving in a canoe.

Makama reports that intelligence sources said that the fighters were killed in successive strikes by the attack aircraft as they attempted to flee the location.

Sources confirmed that the three ISWAP Commanders and some of their lieutenants on the canoe were killed during the strikes while other strikes were carried out around Ali Sherifti or Kwatan Shalla around Kukawa axis where another unconfirmed number of ISWAP terrorists were killed.