Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, have dismantled a major logistics network of the Islamic State West Africa Province during coordinated air strikes along waterways in the Lake Chad region of Borno State.
The military said the operation, carried out on the night of April 21–22, 2026, targeted terrorist activities around the Kaniram Island axis, where insurgents were reportedly coordinating movement and resupply using multiple boats.
According to a statement by the Media Information Officer of OPHK, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, the strikes followed credible Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) inputs which identified over 30 boats and clusters of terrorist elements in the area.
Air assets maintained persistent surveillance before executing precision strikes after confirming targets in line with established Rules of Engagement. The strikes destroyed several boats and disrupted the group’s logistics hub, significantly affecting their mobility and operational capacity.
The military disclosed that real-time ISR enabled follow-up strikes on fleeing insurgents within nearby vegetation, leading to the neutralisation of more than 30 fighters, while others escaped in disarray.
In a separate operation at Sowolwolo within the Sambisa Forest axis, troops conducted additional precision-guided strikes that destroyed three gun trucks and killed more insurgents.
Battle Damage Assessment reports, supported by post-strike intelligence, indicated heavy losses on the part of the terrorists. The military also cited evidence of mass burial activities by ISWAP elements in the Mallam Fatori axis, suggesting significant attrition.
Ground troops are currently exploiting the impact of the strikes to secure surrounding areas and prevent regrouping by fleeing fighters.
The military high command commended the troops for their performance and urged them to sustain offensive operations aimed at dismantling terrorist networks and restoring stability across the North-East theatre.
