Military Airstrikes deal major blow to ISWAP in Lake Chad, top Police wing commander wounded, other killed 

By Zagazola Makama

The Nigerian Military’s Operation HADIN KAI, has continued to degrade the capabilities of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the Lake Chad axis, with recent air strikes reportedly inflicting significant casualties on the terrorist group.

Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that a series of precision air operations conducted around the Lake Chad area resulted in the severe wounding of a prominent ISWAP commander as well as the neutralisation of four terrorists, including one of the group’s long-serving fishing tax collectors.

According to field assessment, BA ARI HISBAH, identified as a prominent head of the ISWAP Police Wing operating in the Lake Chad area, sustained severe injuries to both legs following an air strike conducted by the Air Component near Arege on Wednesday, Aug. 5.

The strike was part of sustained aerial interdiction operations targeting terrorist elements and their logistics networks operating around the Lake Chad basin.

Sources said the strike disrupted the movement and activities of the terrorists in the area, forcing surviving elements to withdraw from the affected location.

Further intelligence indicated that another successful air operation conducted on Friday, Aug. 7, between Alayaru village and Limberi Market, north of Kukawa, resulted in the neutralisation of BA USMAN MAIDHARAIB, a 55-year-old ISWAP member described as one of the group’s oldest fishing tax collectors in the Lake Chad area.

MAIDHARAIB was reportedly moving with three other terrorists on two motorcycles when they came under attack by the aircraft.

The intelligence report confirmed that all four terrorists were neutralised during the air strike, while the two motorcycles were also destroyed.

The elimination of MAIDHARAIB is considered significant because of the role played by ISWAP’s fishing tax collection network in sustaining the group’s financial operations around the Lake Chad region.

For years, ISWAP has exploited fishing activities and other legitimate economic activities in the Lake Chad islands and surrounding communities as sources of revenue through illegal taxation, levies and extortion.

The destruction of the group’s revenue collectors and disruption of its movement routes are therefore expected to further weaken its ability to generate funds and sustain its operational activities.

Military sources said the operations were conducted after intelligence surveillance identified the movements of the terrorist elements within the targeted areas.

The sources added that Operation HADIN KAI would sustain its air interdiction missions in coordination with surface forces to deny terrorists freedom of movement and disrupt their logistics, command and control structures.

The Lake Chad region remains a major theatre of counter-terrorism operations, with security forces maintaining pressure on ISWAP formations and their support networks across the maritime and land approaches.

The latest developments come amid intensified efforts by OPHK to degrade terrorist enclaves, disrupt their revenue sources and prevent the regrouping of fleeing fighters following recent military operations in the theatre.