{"id":36044,"date":"2026-08-10T14:35:05","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T13:35:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/?p=36044"},"modified":"2026-08-10T14:35:21","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T13:35:21","slug":"naf-says-airstrike-kills-nine-iswap-fighters-in-borno","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/10\/naf-says-airstrike-kills-nine-iswap-fighters-in-borno\/","title":{"rendered":"NAF Says Airstrike Kills Nine ISWAP Fighters in Borno"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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ABUJA, Nigeria<\/strong> \u2014 The Nigerian Air Force says an airstrike in northeastern Borno state killed nine fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province, including a senior commander involved in protecting and moving high-value members of the militant group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The strike was carried out Saturday, Aug. 8, in the Sambisa Forest area after intelligence indicated that suspected ISWAP fighters were gathering in the area, the Air Force said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The operation was conducted by the air component of Operation Hadin Kai, Nigeria\u2019s military campaign against insurgents in the northeast. The Air Force said remotely piloted aircraft were used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance before the targets were engaged. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Air Force spokesman Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the operation targeted an ISWAP group operating around a forested area where fighters were believed to be moving and organizing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of those killed was described by the military as a key commander responsible for providing security escorts for senior ISWAP members. The Air Force said his death could disrupt the group’s ability to move senior operatives and coordinate activities across the Sambisa area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The military did not immediately provide independent evidence of the reported deaths, a common limitation in assessing battlefield casualty claims in remote parts of northeastern Nigeria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ISWAP, an Islamic State affiliate formed after a split within Boko Haram, remains one of the most significant armed groups operating in Nigeria’s northeast. The group has carried out attacks against military positions, civilians and communities around the Lake Chad Basin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The conflict has its roots in Boko Haram’s insurgency, which began more than 15 years ago and evolved into several factions. ISWAP emerged as a distinct faction after some Boko Haram members pledged allegiance to Islamic State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The insurgency has affected Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon, creating a regional security crisis around the Lake Chad Basin. Millions of people have been displaced over the years, while attacks and insecurity have disrupted farming, trade and access to basic services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sambisa Forest has remained an important area for militant activity. Its difficult terrain and extensive vegetation have provided armed groups with places to hide, move personnel and maintain logistical networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Nigerian military has increasingly relied on airstrikes, surveillance aircraft and intelligence-led ground operations to target insurgent positions in the northeast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The latest operation follows a series of military successes claimed against ISWAP this year. In June, Nigerian authorities said military operations had killed dozens of terrorists, including senior ISWAP figures, in Borno.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nigeria has also worked with international partners in counterterrorism operations. In May, Nigerian forces and the U.S. Africa Command carried out joint operations that Nigerian military officials said killed senior ISWAP leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Military pressure has weakened parts of the insurgency, but security analysts have cautioned that killing commanders does not necessarily eliminate militant networks. Groups such as ISWAP have demonstrated the ability to replace leaders, reorganize and continue operating across difficult terrain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For civilians in Borno and neighboring states, the continuing military campaign is closely tied to the wider challenge of restoring security and allowing communities to return to normal economic activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conflict also has international implications because ISWAP is part of the broader Islamic State network. Its activities in the Lake Chad region have made counterterrorism cooperation between Nigeria and neighboring countries a continuing priority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Nigerian government has repeatedly said its objective is to dismantle terrorist networks, disrupt their supply lines and prevent them from establishing territorial control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For now, the reported deaths of nine fighters and a senior commander represent another tactical blow to ISWAP. Whether the operation produces a lasting reduction in the group’s ability to operate will depend on the military’s ability to maintain pressure while preventing militants from rebuilding their networks elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The latest strike underscores the continuing nature of Nigeria’s fight against insurgency nearly two decades after Boko Haram’s uprising began. Despite repeated military offensives, the conflict remains a major security and humanitarian challenge in the country’s northeast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boko Haram’s insurgency began in northeastern Nigeria more than 15 years ago and later developed into competing factions. ISWAP emerged after a split within Boko Haram and pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conflict eventually spread across borders into Niger, Chad and Cameroon, turning the Lake Chad Basin into a major regional security challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sambisa Forest has repeatedly featured in Nigerian military operations because of its importance as a hideout and operating area for insurgents. Nigerian forces have conducted numerous air and ground operations there as part of Operation Hadin Kai.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent months, the military has reported several operations targeting senior ISWAP commanders. In June, authorities said 50 terrorists, including a senior ISWAP commander, were killed during operations in Borno. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ABUJA, Nigeria \u2014 The Nigerian Air Force says an airstrike in northeastern Borno state killed nine fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province, including a senior commander involved in protecting and moving high-value members of the militant group. The strike was carried out Saturday, Aug. 8, in the Sambisa Forest area after intelligence indicated […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4,5],"tags":[69,1870,22313,22311,22312,21395,2076,18474,22314],"class_list":["post-36044","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-featured","category-international","tag-borno-state","tag-iswap-2","tag-iswap-fighters","tag-naf","tag-nigeria-insurgency","tag-nigeria-terrorism","tag-nigerian-air-force","tag-operation-hadin-kai","tag-sambisa-forest"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36044","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36044"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36044\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36060,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36044\/revisions\/36060"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36044"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36044"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36044"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}