By Jelili Gbadamosi
Nigerian troops have dealt a major operational setback to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) following airstrikes that killed nine fighters, including a commander responsible for escorting senior members of the terrorist group in Borno State.
The strikes, conducted on Saturday, August 8, 2026, targeted ISWAP positions around the Yuwe and Sabil Huda enclaves in the Sambisa Forest.
Security analyst Zagazola Makama, who disclosed the development in a statement posted on X, identified one of the casualties as Qaid Abu Khalid Al Muhajir, a key figure responsible for coordinating the movement and protection of senior ISWAP commanders.
According to Makama, Abu Khalid was particularly familiar with routes linking different ISWAP enclaves and was involved in facilitating the movement of senior commanders and special convoys across the forest.
His knowledge of the terrain and movement corridors reportedly made him a critical component of the group’s operational network, helping senior operatives evade interception by security forces.
The airstrikes also reportedly killed other fighters associated with ISWAP elements involved in the ambush of Nigerian troops along the Bita–Yamtage axis in Gwoza Local Government Area.
Makama said several other fighters sustained injuries during the operation.
He noted that the latest strikes could have wider implications for ISWAP’s activities across the Sambisa Forest and the Gwoza axis, particularly by disrupting established movement routes used by senior commanders.
“The latest intelligence suggests that the air strikes may have disrupted a wider network of fighters involved in terrorist operations across the Sambisa Forest and the Gwoza axis,” he said.
He added that the death of Abu Khalid could affect the group’s ability to coordinate the movement of senior operatives between its various enclaves, especially as security forces intensify surveillance and kinetic operations in the region.
The operation comes amid sustained military efforts to degrade terrorist networks operating in northeastern Nigeria.
