The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has eliminated key leaders of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in a successful precision airstrike in the Lake Chad region.
In a statement issued Monday, NAF spokesperson Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame described the operation as a “significant operational success against terrorists in the Lake Chad region,” noting that the precision strike targeted a known terrorist hideout on 19 October 2026.
“Preliminary post-strike assessments indicate that several high-ranking ISWAP fighters were neutralised, including individuals occupying critical positions within the group’s security and leadership structure,” Ejodame stated.
Among those killed were JINDULLAH, identified as ISWAP’s Chief Security Guard and a close confidant of Abu Saleem, and ABUL KISSA, a member of the group’s Shura Council.
The statement further revealed that the strike destroyed key logistical assets—such as boat engines and motorcycles—that were believed to facilitate the group’s mobility and operations.
Ejodame emphasized that the operation highlights the NAF’s sustained commitment to degrading terrorist networks, disrupting their logistics, and enhancing security throughout Nigeria’s North-East.
The operation demonstrates the NAF’s ongoing efforts to conduct intelligence-driven precision strikes against terrorist enclaves hidden in challenging terrain,” he added.
By neutralising senior operatives and dismantling essential logistical resources, the airstrike deals a significant blow to ISWAP’s operational capacity, further limiting its ability to coordinate attacks and threaten communities.
Meanwhile, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, reaffirmed the NAF’s determination to “maintain decisive air operations against terrorist networks in support of national efforts to restore peace and stability.
The statement concluded by reiterating the NAF’s commitment to working closely with other security agencies to consolidate operational gains, safeguard vulnerable communities, and advance the quest for lasting peace in the North-East.
