Air platforms deployed under Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI, have carried out a series of intelligence-led precision strikes against suspected terrorist concentrations in parts of Borno State, with the military reporting that about 36 terrorists were neutralised in separate engagements.
The operations were conducted between the night of August 21 and the early hours of August 22, 2026, following intelligence reports and confirmatory Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance missions that identified movements and gatherings of suspected terrorists in different locations.
According to the Joint Task Force, the coordinated strikes were aimed at disrupting terrorist attempts to assemble, regroup and operate within the theatre.
One of the operations took place around the Aduwa axis of Monguno Local Government Area, where an armed reconnaissance platform detected and tracked suspected terrorists before identifying a larger concentration inside a settlement.
Following the required operational procedures and authorisation, a precision strike was conducted against the identified target.
The military said its subsequent Battle Damage Assessment indicated significant effects on the target, with approximately 16 terrorists neutralised in two precision strikes.
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Surveillance of the area continued after the initial engagement. During the monitoring operation, the aircraft reportedly detected another group of suspected terrorists attempting to regroup away from the original target location.
A further precision engagement was subsequently carried out against the group. The military said post-strike assessment indicated that the group, estimated at about 10 terrorists, had also been successfully engaged.
Another operation was conducted around Buratai in Biu Local Government Area, where a separate Operation HADIN KAI air platform tracked suspected terrorists gathered at a location.
The military said sustained surveillance was conducted before the necessary authorisation for a precision strike was obtained. The aircraft subsequently engaged the identified target, with the military reporting that about 10 additional terrorists were neutralised.
Taken together, the military’s reported figures put the number of suspected terrorists neutralised during the operations at approximately 36.
The figures are military-reported casualty estimates based on post-strike assessment and have not been independently verified by an outside source.
The latest operations form part of the continuing air and ground campaign by Operation HADIN KAI against terrorist networks operating across the North-East.
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The Joint Task Force said the strikes followed a process involving intelligence collection, surveillance and confirmation of suspected terrorist movements before engagements were authorised.
That process, according to the military, enabled its air platforms to identify groups attempting to gather or reposition within the operational theatre.
The military also said the operations demonstrated the importance of its integrated Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance capabilities in detecting terrorist movements before they could develop into threats against troops or communities.
According to the task force, the ability to maintain surveillance after an initial engagement also allowed the air platforms to identify and strike another group attempting to regroup.
The military said terrorist elements could no longer rely on dispersing into smaller groups, concealing their movements or operating from remote locations to avoid detection.
The latest strikes are expected by the task force to place additional pressure on terrorist formations and restrict their ability to move, organise and sustain operations within the theatre.
The military further said the operations were intended to disrupt terrorist command and control structures as well as place pressure on their logistics and fighting formations.
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The air operations are being conducted alongside non-kinetic measures under Operation HADIN KAI. These include community engagement, strategic communication, counter-messaging and humanitarian coordination.
The task force also said it continues to encourage terrorists and their associates to abandon violence and surrender.
According to the military, the increasing number of surrenders recorded in recent weeks is an indication of the pressure being placed on terrorist networks and reinforces the availability of a route away from violence.
The latest strikes therefore represent another phase of the military’s continuing effort to combine kinetic operations with measures aimed at encouraging defections and reducing support for terrorist activity.
The Joint Task Force urged residents across the North-East to remain vigilant and provide security agencies with timely and credible information about suspicious movements or activities.
It said cooperation from communities remains important to early threat detection and the protection of lives and property.
The task force also said community support would be necessary to consolidate security gains and create conditions for the restoration of normal socio-economic activities across affected areas.
Operation HADIN KAI is expected to continue coordinated operations against terrorist networks in the North-East as security forces maintain pressure on groups operating in Borno and other parts of the theatre.
The military’s latest account did not provide further details on whether weapons, vehicles or other terrorist equipment were recovered during the air operations, nor did it identify the specific terrorist faction to which the targeted groups allegedly belonged.
The reported engagements were concentrated around the Aduwa axis in Monguno Local Government Area and Buratai in Biu Local Government Area.
Verification Note: The casualty figures and operational effects in this report are based solely on the statement issued by Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI. The reported 36 neutralised terrorists are therefore presented as a military assessment and not as independently verified casualty figures.
