Video: How Nigerian troops killed over 50 ISWAP terrorists

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have killed more than 50 fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), including five notorious field commanders, after repelling multiple coordinated attacks across Borno and Yobe States.

Military sources described the confrontation as one of the most decisive blows dealt to ISWAP this year, following fierce battles that lasted several hours in Dikwa, Mafa, Gajibo, and Katarko.

The slain commanders were identified as Ari Kolo, also known as Munzir Abbagajiri; Ya Muhammad from Dosula; Abu Aisha from Abba Gajiri; Hamzalah, the Qaid of Gambo Gege and Faruk villages; and Abu Rijal, also from Dosula.

Intelligence reports indicated that the ISWAP units launched their assault from the Cameroon axis, with other elements advancing from the notorious Timbuktu Triangle.

However, the terrorists, who attacked from multiple directions, were met with a devastating response from air and ground troops who engaged them for over four hours.

In Dikwa, Gajibo, and Katarko, troops’ firepower proved overwhelming, neutralising most of the attackers.

In Mafa, a few terrorists managed to infiltrate the base and burn some vehicles before they were subdued.

Military intelligence described the five slain commanders as some of ISWAP’s key battlefield tacticians responsible for previous ambushes on patrol convoys, attacks on military bases, and the deployment of drone-assisted improvised explosive devices in the North East.

Their deaths, the sources said, represent a major setback for the insurgents, effectively weakening the group’s tactical coordination and command structure.

“These commanders orchestrated the failed offensive from different fronts, deploying rocket-propelled grenades, anti-aircraft guns, and suicide bombers in a desperate bid to overrun military positions in Dikwa, Mafa, and Katarko.

“But they were crushed in a combined air and ground counter-assault that left dozens of their fighters dead,” a senior military officer said.

In an official statement, the Media Information Officer of OPHK, Lt.-Col. Sani Uba, confirmed that a total of 62 terrorists were killed during the operations, while clearance and exploitation missions were still ongoing.

He explained that the coordinated offensive by the insurgents began around midnight and lasted until about 4 a.m., but troops, supported by precision airstrikes, fought gallantly and inflicted heavy losses on the enemy.

Recovered weapons from the scene included 38 AK-47 rifles, seven PKT machine guns, five RPG tubes, two GPMGs, several hand grenades, and thousands of rounds of assorted ammunition.

Further assessments showed that the neutralised commanders played key roles in ISWAP’s northern command. Ari Kolo was a seasoned strategist who previously coordinated ambush operations around the Dikwa–Gajibo axis.

Ya Muhammad and Abu Rijal, both from Dosula, were logistics and anti-aircraft weapons experts who participated in several major assaults.

Abu Aisha from Abba Gajiri was known for leading rocket-propelled grenade attacks on remote bases in the Lake Chad area.

Hamzalah, the local commander of Gambo Gege and Faruk villages, oversaw recruitment and mobilisation of fighters in the northern fringes of Borno State.

Security sources believe the deaths of these commanders will severely diminish ISWAP’s operational strength and disrupt planned offensives in Dikwa, Rann, Kala Balge, and border areas with Cameroon and Chad.

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