Nigeria’s Air Force has intensified operations in the North-East, carrying out precision strikes that targeted what security officials described as a major Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) logistics base in the Bindul–Jilli axis of Borno State.
Military authorities said the operation, conducted under Operation Hadin Kai, resulted in the destruction of insurgent assets and the neutralisation of several fighters.
According to the Joint Task Force North-East spokesperson, Sani Uba, the air interdiction followed sustained Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions that tracked movement of suspected insurgents across the area.
“Post-strike assessment confirmed that the target area was struck with high accuracy, destroying the identified terrorist logistics enclave,” Uba said.
He added that intelligence indicated the location served as a key convergence point for fighters, motorcycles and gun trucks preparing for coordinated attacks on military positions in the Gubio axis.
Military sources said multiple insurgent elements were observed moving into the area before the strikes were executed, following corroborated intelligence from ground and aerial surveillance.
Following the initial bombardment, the Nigerian Air Force said it conducted additional “mop-up” airstrikes targeting fleeing and regrouping fighters in the same general area.
The Director of Public Relations and Information of the Air Force, Ehimen Ejodame, said the follow-up operations were designed to consolidate earlier gains and deny insurgents the opportunity to reorganise.
“The follow-on strikes were aimed at fleeing remnants and regrouping cells seeking to exploit the difficult terrain,” Ejodame said.
He described the operation as part of an ongoing joint air-ground campaign aimed at degrading terrorist capability and restricting their freedom of movement across the North-East theatre.
Local authorities in Yobe State also clarified that civilians were not the intended targets of the strike. A statement from security adviser to the state government, Dahiru Abdulsalam, said the operation focused on a known insurgent stronghold.
He noted that some civilians from nearby areas who had visited the location were inadvertently affected and had since been evacuated for medical attention.
Abdulsalam reaffirmed that the Bindul–Jilli axis remains a high-risk insurgent corridor frequently used for logistics and coordination, stressing that security operations in the area would continue.
Authorities further reiterated the ban on motorcycle use in parts of the North-East operational zone, citing their continued exploitation by insurgent groups for movement and attacks.
The military says sustained air and ground operations will continue across the region as part of efforts to dismantle remaining terrorist enclaves and restore stability.