Scores of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists were reportedly killed in a recent airstrike by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).
Reports obtained by OsunDailyNG on Thursday, July 6, revealed that the deadly airstrike was conducted on Wednesday (yesterday) at a location near Marte Local Government Area of Borno State.
Popular counter-insurgency expert in the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, disclosed this via his Twitter handle today.
He wrote: “The insurgents were neutralized in a precise, intelligence-led air strike carried out by the Air Component command, Operation Hadin Kai in Tumbum SHITTU.”
He noted that the military airstrikes were conducted after surveillance detected a large gathering of terrorists in the region, adding that an anonymous intelligence source confirmed that “This air operation was aimed to neutralize the strongholds of ISWAP.”
Barely two weeks ago, a top commander of the Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP), Kiriku, reportedly died in Borno State after sustaining a snake bite injury.
Makama confirmed via his microblogging platform page that Kiriku sustained the injury in one of ISWAP’s hideouts in Damboa Local Government Area (LGA) of Borno on Tuesday and died three days later.
According to the counter-insurgency expert, the ISWAP field commander died after he was unable to access treatment for the snake bite wound.
Before his death, Kiriku operated within the Jiddari axis of Chiralia in the Timbuktu triangle and led many attacks and ambushes against troops of Operation Hadin Kai in Borno.
The Timbuktu triangle, a Boko Haram/SWAP stronghold, stretches over four LGAs in Borno, which includes Damboa, Jere, Kaga, Konduga, and Gujba LGA in Yobe state.
