Major Blow To ISWAP As Air Force Bombs Sambisa, Eliminates Commander

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has killed nine fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), including a senior commander, in an airstrike targeting a suspected terrorist hideout in the Sambisa Forest area of Borno State.

The NAF identified the senior commander as Abu Khalid Al Muhajir, whom it described as a key figure involved in facilitating the movement of senior ISWAP leaders and providing security escorts for them.

The operation was carried out on Saturday, August 8, 2026, following intelligence reports on the activities, movements and gatherings of suspected terrorists within the forest.

The Director of Public Relations and Information at NAF Headquarters, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, confirmed the operation in a statement issued on Sunday.

According to Ejodame, the NAF deployed a Remotely Piloted Aircraft to conduct sustained aerial surveillance and track the movements of the suspected terrorists.

He said operators monitored the fighters as they moved towards a suspected hideout before a precision strike was carried out on the location.

Ejodame said, “The successful operation, conducted on Saturday, 8 August 2026, followed credible intelligence on the activities and movement of suspected terrorists within the Sambisa Forest area. Acting on the intelligence, the NAF deployed a Remotely Piloted Aircraft to conduct persistent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, enabling the identification and tracking of a group of terrorists as they moved towards a suspected hideout.”

He added, “Following positive identification and confirmation of the target, the NAF aircraft conducted a precision engagement on the location. Subsequent battle damage assessment indicated significant effects on the targeted compound, with several terrorists neutralised.”

The NAF spokesperson further said intelligence reports received after the operation indicated that nine ISWAP fighters were killed, while several others sustained injuries.

The Air Force described the death of Abu Khalid Al Muhajir as a significant setback for ISWAP, given his reported role within the group’s operational network.

According to military intelligence, Al Muhajir was familiar with several routes, forest paths and difficult terrains linking terrorist camps across the Sambisa Forest and surrounding areas.

The NAF also said some of the terrorists targeted in the operation were believed to have been involved in a recent deadly ambush on Nigerian troops along the Bita-Yamtage axis in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.

The military said the destruction of the hideout would disrupt ISWAP’s ability to protect senior commanders, move high-value operatives and coordinate attacks across the North-East.

The NAF reaffirmed its commitment to supporting efforts to restore peace and security in the region, stating that it would continue to deploy intelligence-driven air operations in coordination with ground forces to disrupt terrorist networks, restrict their movements and protect communities.