The Nigerian Air Force has announced that an airstrike carried out in the Sambisa Forest area of Borno State killed nine fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province, including a senior commander involved in the movement and protection of the group’s top members.
The operation was conducted on Saturday, August 8, 2026, following credible intelligence about the activities and movement of suspected terrorists within the forest. The Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF Headquarters, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday.
According to Ejodame, the NAF deployed a Remotely Piloted Aircraft to carry out persistent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance operations. The aircraft identified and tracked a group of terrorists moving towards a suspected hideout before a precision strike was conducted after the target was positively identified and confirmed.
The NAF said an initial battle damage assessment showed significant effects on the targeted compound, with several terrorists neutralised. Further intelligence received after the operation subsequently confirmed that nine ISWAP fighters were killed, while several others sustained injuries.
Among those reportedly killed was Abu Khalid Al Muhajir, described by the NAF as a prominent ISWAP commander responsible for providing special security escorts for the movement of senior members of the terrorist group.
The Air Force said Al Muhajir’s knowledge of routes, terrain and tactical movements connecting major terrorist enclaves in the Sambisa Forest and surrounding areas made his reported death a significant operational setback for ISWAP.
The NAF added that intelligence indicated that some of the terrorists affected by the strike were linked to elements suspected of participating in the recent ambush of Nigerian troops along the Bita-Yamtage axis in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.
According to the service, the operation demonstrated the effectiveness of intelligence-led air operations, particularly the combination of persistent surveillance and precision strike capabilities.
The NAF said the latest strike is expected to disrupt ISWAP’s leadership protection arrangements, restrict the movement of high-value personnel and weaken the group’s ability to coordinate activities across its various enclaves.
The service reaffirmed its commitment to conducting intelligence-driven and precision air operations in coordination with ground forces to degrade terrorist capabilities, limit their freedom of movement and improve security for communities across the North-East.
