Troops Take Down ISWAP Leaders, Prevent Attack in Borno

Troops from the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, have killed several terrorists from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). This happened after they stopped a major attack on their base in Kukawa, Borno State.

A statement from Captain Mohammed Goni, the Acting Media Information Officer, was shared on X on Sunday. The attack took place on October 31, 2026.

“Combined troops deployed in Kukawa defeated a large-scale ISWAP assault using both ground forces and air support from the operation’s air component,” the statement said.

The troops killed key figures including Abu Hajara, a member of ISWAP’s Shura Council, and Abul Walid, a commander close to Ba Shuwa, the overall Wali of ISWAP. They also took down two high-ranking Arab fighters. Many other terrorists lost their lives in the fight.

After the battle, the troops found a lot of arms, ammunition, and communication devices.

This incident in Kukawa happened just three days after another clash in Buni Yadi. During that engagement, the military reported killing 55 terrorists.

In that earlier operation, they took down important commanders like Ali Mandara Abba Gajiri (known as Munzir), Habu Ikkima Nakif Yana Faruk, and Commander Gogore.

The Theatre Command highlighted that their successful defense shows the combat readiness, vigilance, and firepower of the Operation HADIN KAI troops.

They promised to keep protecting law-abiding citizens and continue operations to completely wipe out terrorists and destroy their camps in the area.

The killing of top ISWAP commanders in Kukawa, Borno State, is part of a stronger military push against insurgents in Nigeria’s North-East, especially around the Lake Chad Basin.

This situation is important because ISWAP remains a major security threat in the region, despite years of military efforts, the killing of its leaders, and the disruption of its operations.