Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai Neutralises Scores of ISWAP Terrorists in Devastating Airstrikes on Lake Chad Enclave
By Zagazola Makama
The Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) has delivered a devastating blow to Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists, neutralising several fighters and destroying their structures in a precision air interdiction mission conducted at Metele in the Lake Chad Basin area.
Sources disclosed that the successful operation was carried out on June 10 by the Air Component, which deployed a combination of manned and unmanned aerial assets following credible intelligence on heightened terrorist activities within the notorious Northern Tumbuns region.
Intelligence reports had indicated the presence of a prominent terrorist leader and a concentration of insurgent elements operating from concealed structures within the enclave. Subsequent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions confirmed unusual movements and significant terrorist activities around the identified location.
Acting swiftly on the intelligence, the Air Component deployed a coordinated strike package involving the PHANTOM formation and GREY RAPTOR platform to engage the targets.
Aerial surveillance conducted prior to the strike revealed clusters of terrorists moving around the structures and carrying out activities believed to be linked to operational planning and logistics.
After positively identifying the targets, the aircrew executed precision strikes, unleashing munitions on the terrorist hideout with devastating accuracy.
Battle damage assessment conducted after the operation indicated that multiple terrorist structures were completely destroyed, while several ISWAP fighters were neutralised in the strikes.
Military sources described the mission as one of a series of sustained offensive air operations aimed at dismantling terrorist sanctuaries and denying insurgents freedom of action within the Lake Chad Basin.
The Northern Tumbuns area has long served as a strategic hideout for ISWAP elements due to its difficult terrain, dense vegetation and proximity to waterways that insurgents often exploit for movement and logistics.
However, sustained air offensives by the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai have increasingly degraded the group’s ability to operate freely within the area.
Sources said that the latest strike highlights the growing effectiveness of intelligence-driven air operations in targeting insurgent leadership, logistics hubs and staging areas deep inside terrorist-controlled territories.
They added that the integration of real-time intelligence, surveillance assets and precision-guided strikes has significantly enhanced the military’s capacity to disrupt terrorist activities before planned attacks can be executed.
The successful mission is expected to further weaken ISWAP’s operational capability within the Lake Chad region and reinforce ongoing efforts to restore lasting peace and security across the North-East theatre.
Military authorities have continued to assure residents that offensive operations against terrorist enclaves will be sustained until all remaining insurgent strongholds are dismantled.
