NAF Strikes ISWAP Hideout, Eliminates Key Leaders in Lake Chad
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has dealt a significant blow to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), reportedly neutralising key members of the terrorist group’s leadership and security structure in a precision air strike in the Lake Chad region.
The operation, conducted on Monday, 19 October 2026, under the Joint Task Force, Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), targeted an identified terrorist hideout as part of ongoing efforts to dismantle insurgent networks and disrupt their operational capabilities in the North-East.
According to a statement by the NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, preliminary post-strike assessments indicated that several prominent ISWAP fighters were neutralised during the operation.
Among those reportedly killed were JINDULLAH, identified as the group’s Chief Security Guard and a close confidant of Abu Saleem, and ABUL KISSA, a member of the ISWAP Shura Council.
The air strike also destroyed logistical assets, including boat engines and motorcycles, believed to have supported the movement of fighters and the execution of terrorist operations across the Lake Chad region.
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The NAF said the operation demonstrated its continued reliance on intelligence-led precision strikes to target terrorist enclaves concealed in difficult terrain, with the aim of degrading their leadership structures, disrupting logistics and limiting their capacity to threaten vulnerable communities.
The reported neutralisation of the two figures could weaken elements of ISWAP’s internal security and leadership structure, while the destruction of transportation assets is expected to constrain the group’s mobility and operational coordination.
Commenting on the operation, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, reaffirmed the NAF’s determination to sustain decisive air operations against terrorist networks in support of broader efforts to restore peace and stability across the country.
He reiterated the Air Force’s commitment to working closely with the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Navy and other security agencies to consolidate operational gains, protect vulnerable communities and advance the campaign against insurgency in the North-East.
The Lake Chad region remains a strategic theatre in Nigeria’s counter-insurgency campaign, with security forces continuing operations to dismantle terrorist networks, disrupt their supply chains and prevent attacks on military formations and civilian populations.
The NAF said it would sustain its operational efforts in collaboration with other security agencies to weaken terrorist groups and support the restoration of lasting peace and security in the region.
