Between the night of 21 and the early hours of 22 August 2026, over 20 terrorists in different locations in the Munguno and Biu local government areas of Borno State have been eliminated by the troops of the Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), reports thegazellenews.com.
.The headquarters of Operation HADIN KAI, confirmed the development through a statement on Saturday, 22 August, 2026 by the Acting Military Information Officer, Captain Mohammed Goni.
Goni, who said that the operations were conducted by its air platforms through intelligence-led precision strikes against terrorist concentrations in different locations across Borno State, added that that the coordinated air operations followed credible intelligence and confirmatory Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions that identified movements and concentrations of suspected terrorists.
According to him, the strikes successfully degraded the identified targets and disrupted attempts by terrorist elements to assemble, regroup and operate freely within the theatre.
“In one of the operations, an armed reconnaissance platform detected and tracked suspected terrorists around the Aduwa axis in Monguno LGA before identifying a larger concentration within a settlement,” it said in a statement “Following appropriate operational procedures and authorisation, a precision strike was conducted against the identified target. Subsequent Battle Damage Assessment indicated significant effects on the terrorist concentration, with about 16 terrorists neutralised in two precision strikes.”
It further stated that the platform continued surveillance of the area and subsequently detected another group of terrorists attempting to regroup away from the initial target location.
He said in the statement that further precision engagement was conducted, with subsequent assessment indicating that the identified group of about 10 terrorists had also been successfully engaged.
He also disclosed that in a separate operation around Buratai in Biu LGA, another Operation HADIN KAI air platform tracked a group of suspected terrorists gathered at a location in the area.
“Following sustained surveillance and the requisite authorisation, the platform conducted a precision strike which successfully impacted the identified target, taking out about 10 other terrorists.
“The operations underscore the growing effectiveness of Operation HADIN KAI’s integrated ISR capabilities in detecting and disrupting terrorist movements before they can develop into threats against troops and vulnerable communities. They also demonstrate that attempts by terrorist elements to conceal their movements, disperse into smaller groups or exploit remote locations cannot be relied upon to guarantee freedom from detection,” the statement added.
It stated further that beyond the immediate operational effects, the latest strikes were expected to further weaken terrorist freedom of action, disrupt their command and control, and place additional pressure on their logistics and fighting formations.
This, it said, forms part of the broader campaign by Operation HADIN KAI to degrade terrorist capabilities while creating a more secure environment for communities across the North-East.
“The kinetic pressure being sustained against terrorist networks is complemented by Operation HADIN KAI’s non-kinetic efforts, including community engagement, strategic communication, counter-messaging, humanitarian coordination and encouragement of terrorists and their associates to abandon violence and surrender.
“The increasing number of surrenders recorded in recent weeks further reflects the growing pressure on terrorist networks and reinforces the message that there remains a credible pathway away from terrorism,” it said.
Goni in the state statement, urged members of the public to remain vigilant and continue providing timely and credible information to security forces.
It said that community cooperation remains essential to early threat detection, protection of lives and property, and consolidation of the gains being recorded in the counter-terrorism campaign.
He promised that the joint task force will continue to sustain coordinated operations against terrorist networks while supporting conditions for the restoration of peace, security and normal socio-economic activity across the North-East.
