Army Intensifies Offensives, Records Gains Against ISWAP, Boko Haram In Northeast

The Nigerian Army, under the auspices of Operation Hadin Kai, has achieved major gains in the fight against insurgency by intensifying offensives against the leaders and strongholds of ISWAP and Boko Haram. Maj.-Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, the Theatre Commander of the North East Joint Task Force, disclosed these developments in a briefing in Maiduguri on Friday. He noted that despite recent challenges, troops are steadily tightening the noose on terrorist groups and reshaping the conflict landscape.

According to the commander, recent operations have successfully dismantled insurgent command structures and disrupted logistics networks in critical corridors. A notable breakthrough was the neutralization of Modu Kundiri, a top ISWAP commander (Qa'id) of the Pulka axis, during a coordinated ground operation along the Madagali–Gwoza route. Additionally, in Kukawa LGA, troops eliminated Malam Bako Gorgore (Abou Mustapha), a senior member of ISWAP’s Shura Council responsible for recruitment and ideological direction.

The air component of the operation has also played a decisive role, with precision strikes in the Sambisa Forest taking out high-value commanders including Saddam, Saleh Garin Kago, Hussaini Ubaida, and Ba Alayi Benbem. In one significant engagement at Malam Fatori, troops repelled a major assault involving armed drones, killing 84 ISWAP terrorists. Maj.-Gen. Abubakar emphasized that these targeted operations are effectively breaking the operational backbone of the insurgency, significantly reducing their capacity to launch future attacks.