Army troops, NAF neutralise scores of ISWAP terrorists in Kumshe, Borno
By: Zagazola Makama
Nigerian troops of Operation HADIN KAI in collaboration with the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), have neutralised scores of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists in a major operation around Kumshe, a border community in Borno State.
The operation, conducted under the Theatre of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), followed a daring attempt by ISWAP fighters to attack military positions in Kumshe in the early hours of Saturday.
According to preliminary reports, the terrorists sustained heavy losses during a coordinated ground and air response that left no fewer than 35 insurgents dead.
Zagazola gathered that ISWAP fighters, advancing from the Gulumba Gana axis, launched an assault on military positions but were repelled after intense fire from Nigerian troops.
Field findings revealed that ISWAP managed to evacuate between eight and 10 of their injured fighters to the Zangeri camp near Gulumba Gana, while five bodies were hastily buried by their comrades. Several other bodies were abandoned on the battlefield due to heavy resistance from troops.
However, the military also suffered casualties, with one soldier killed and two others injured in the encounter.
To consolidate the ground troops’ efforts, the NAF swiftly launched a precision air interdiction against massing terrorist elements along the Nigeria–Cameroon border.
The successive strikes from NAF aircraft neutralised over 35 ISWAP fighters, disrupting their operational momentum and preventing further reinforcement.
Director of Public Relations and Information of the NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said that the air interdiction was based on credible intelligence pointing to four major terrorist assembly areas near Kumshe.
Ejodame explained that communication with ground troops after the operation confirmed that the situation around Kumshe had been stabilised, a development that highlighted the synergy between the Air Component and land forces in sustaining operational dominance.
“The latest operation demonstrates the Nigerian Air Force’s unwavering commitment to providing close air support to ground troops, while also disrupting terrorist logistics networks and movement corridors in the volatile border region,” he stated.
The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, commended the gallantry of the troops and the precision displayed by the aircrew during the mission.
He assured that the NAF would sustain intelligence-driven operations until terrorist groups threatening Nigeria’s sovereignty were completely degraded.
