At least five senior field commanders of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have been killed in a major coordinated military operation across Borno and Yobe States, a top military source revealed on Thursday.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity in Maiduguri, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the terrorists met their end during overnight counteroffensives launched by troops under Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK).
Describing the operation as “the biggest blow against ISWAP this year,” the source said dozens of other insurgents were also neutralised during the intense gun battles that raged for several hours.
> “The death of the five commanders marked a significant setback for ISWAP’s command and tactical operations in the North-East,” the source said.
He explained that the slain commanders had led a multi-pronged assault on military locations, deploying rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), anti-aircraft weapons, and suicide bombers in an attempt to overrun troop positions.
> “They were overwhelmed by combined ground and air counter-assaults,” he added.
The fallen ISWAP leaders were identified as Ari Kolo (Munzir Abbagajiri), Ya Muhammad (from Dosula), Abu Aisha (from Abba Gajiri), Hamzalah (Qaid at Gambo Gege and Faruk villages), and Abu Rijal (from Dosula).
According to the source, the commanders were killed during simultaneous clashes in Dikwa, Mafa, Gajibo, and Katarko, areas spanning Borno and Yobe States. They were also said to be behind a series of deadly ambushes on troops, drone-enabled IED attacks, and raids on Forward Operating Bases along the Dikwa–Gajibo corridor in recent months.
Confirming the development, the Media Information Officer of OPHK, Lt.-Col. Sani Uba, said in a statement that the insurgents launched simultaneous midnight attacks targeting troop locations in Dikwa, Mafa, and Katarko but were decisively repelled.
> “The elimination of these top figures has degraded ISWAP’s field leadership and disrupted their command network,” Uba stated.
He added that troops recovered a cache of weapons, including 38 AK-47 rifles, seven PKT machine guns, five RPG tubes, two GPMGs, hand grenades, and thousands of rounds of assorted ammunition after the encounters.
(NAN)
