The Nigerian Air Force has killed more than 40 Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters, including a senior commander, during an air strike on a terrorist hideout in Borno State.

The operation, conducted by the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI on October 10, 2026, targeted a terrorist enclave in Badu Village, south of Gudumbali, in Guzamala Local Government Area of the state.

The strike followed intelligence reports that the insurgents were planning coordinated attacks against troops operating in Sector 3 of the military operation.

According to preliminary intelligence reports and battle damage assessments, aerial surveillance identified fighters around suspected hideouts and logistics facilities before the military launched the attack.

More than 40 terrorists, including an ISWAP commander known as a Qaid, were reportedly killed in the operation. Two vehicles and approximately 20 motorcycles used by the group for transportation, logistics and attacks were also destroyed.

Military intelligence indicated that the targeted fighters belonged to ISWAP’s Murabitun unit, a mobile combat formation responsible for patrols and coordinating attacks in the Lake Chad region.

Further assessments are ongoing to establish the full extent of the damage inflicted on the terrorist group.

The operation forms part of ongoing military efforts to weaken insurgent networks, disrupt planned attacks on security forces and improve security across Nigeria’s North-East region.