Troops kill scores of ISWAP terrorists in Lake Chad airstrikes

From Uthman Abubakar, Maiduguri

​Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), intensified their offensive against insurgents with a series of precision airstrikes conducted on the night of Tuesday, April 21, into the early hours of Wednesday.
The operation successfully dismantled Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) logistics networks along the Lake Chad waterways, specifically around the Kaniram Island axis in Northern Borno State.
​In a statement released on Wednesday, the OPHK spokesperson, Lt. Col. Sani Uba, confirmed that “scores” of terrorists were neutralized during the engagement.
​According to Lt. Col. Uba, the operation was driven by credible Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) inputs. OPHK air assets maintained a persistent overhead presence, which confirmed a concentration of over 30 terrorist boats and associated elements coordinating resupply activities and movement.
​“Target validation and positive identification were meticulously achieved, ensuring high targeting fidelity prior to engagement.
“Following confirmation in line with the Rules of Engagement, OPHK executed well-coordinated precision strikes that destroyed several boats and disrupted the terrorists’ logistics hub,” Uba stated.
​The spokesperson noted that the destruction of the hub immediately degraded the insurgents’ mobility and their capacity to sustain regional operations.
He asked that real-time ISR allowed for rapid follow-on strikes against fleeing elements attempting to regroup in nearby vegetation, resulting in the neutralization of over 30 additional terrorists.
​“Surviving elements were observed escaping in disarray, reflecting a significant breakdown in their command structure and internal cohesion,” he added.
​In a related development at Sowolwolo within the Sambisa Forest axis, additional precision-guided strikes were conducted following successful target acquisition in collaboration with partners.
This engagement resulted in the destruction of three terrorist gun trucks and the neutralization of several fighters in the vicinity.
​Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) and post-strike intelligence have since confirmed substantial enemy losses.
Reports of mass burial activities by ISWAP elements in the Mallam Fatori axis further underscore the scale of the attrition inflicted by the military.
​Ground forces are currently exploiting the momentum of these strikes to dominate the adjoining areas and prevent any attempt by fleeing insurgents to reconstitute their forces..