Airstrike targets ISWAP hideout in southern Lake Chad

The Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) has carried out a precision night airstrike on an Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) hideout in the southern Lake Chad area, killing several terrorists during the operation.

Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that the strike followed sustained surveillance which detected heightened terrorist activity around Arenna in Marte LGA of Borno state.

The operation began at about 10:35 p.m. on July 23 after intelligence indicated that roughly 50 motorcycles used by suspected terrorists were moving within the area.

After confirming the target through aerial surveillance, the aircraft launched a precision strike on a building identified as a terrorist hideout.

A battle damage assessment carried out after the attack showed that everyone inside the building was killed, while three other terrorists outside the structure also died in the strike.

The assessment also found that three suspected terrorists were seen fleeing the location after the attack, indicating they escaped the immediate impact of the strike.

Sources told Zagazola Makama that the aircraft stayed over the area after the operation to continue monitoring the scene and to engage any fleeing terrorists if required.

An officer said the operation was based on credible intelligence and carried out with precision, adding that initial findings showed the mission achieved its objective while surveillance continued to track any surviving terrorists.

The airstrike forms part of the ongoing campaign by the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI to target ISWAP and Boko Haram strongholds, restrict their movement, and weaken their operations across the Lake Chad region.