The Nigerian Army has announced that the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai has carried out a precision airstrike on a terrorist logistics hub in Jilli, Gubio Local Government Area of Borno State, neutralising scores of insurgents and disrupting planned attacks in the region.
In a statement posted on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Sunday, the Army said the strike, conducted on April 11, 2026, targeted a known enclave used by fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and their collaborators.
According to the statement, the operation followed weeks of sustained Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions over the Bindul–Jilli axis, an area identified as a major corridor for terrorist movement and logistics coordination.
The military said the strike was prompted by recent attacks linked to the same network, including an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) incident in January that killed eight soldiers along the Gubio–Damasak road, as well as coordinated assaults in Ngamdu and Benisheik on April 9.
“Multiple reports of ISWAP gun trucks and motorcycles moving along the axis were received on April 11, prompting intensified ISR coverage,” the Army said. “Surveillance confirmed the movement of suspected terrorists and logistics elements converging at Jilli.”
It added that the targets were verified through aerial surveillance and credible human intelligence before the airstrike was executed in line with established operational procedures.
“Upon final validation, the Air Component carried out a series of precision strikes on the location, achieving high accuracy,” the statement noted.
Post-strike assessments indicated that the logistics hub was destroyed, with several vehicles and equipment belonging to the insurgents also taken out. The Army said surviving fighters were seen fleeing the area, while intelligence reports suggest the group had been preparing for coordinated attacks on military positions within the Gubio axis.
In a related development, troops arrested a suspected logistics courier identified as “Turja Bulu” in Ngamdu on April 12. During preliminary interrogation, he reportedly confessed to participating in the April 9 attack on a military formation in Benisheik and said he had been sent from Jilli to deliver supplies to other insurgent groups operating in the Magumeri–Gubio area.
#Securitynewsalert.com #Insecurity #terrorists #troops #airstrike #airforce
