Odita Sunday 
By Odita Sunday
Air platforms of the Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), have neutralised about 36 suspected terrorists in multiple precision strikes across Borno State, disrupting attempts by the insurgents to regroup and operate freely within the theatre.
The strikes were conducted between the night of August 21 and the early hours of August 22, 2026, following credible intelligence and confirmatory Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions that detected movements and concentrations of suspected terrorists at different locations in the state.
According to a statement signed by Mohammed Goni, Captain and Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, Maiduguri, the coordinated air operations successfully degraded the identified targets and disrupted attempts by terrorist elements to assemble and regroup.
The statement said one of the operations was conducted around the Aduwa axis in Monguno LGA, where an armed reconnaissance platform detected and tracked suspected terrorists before identifying a larger concentration within a settlement.
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.
The platform continued surveillance of the area and later detected another group of terrorists attempting to regroup away from the initial target location.
A further precision engagement was conducted, with subsequent assessment indicating that about 10 terrorists in the group had also been successfully engaged.
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 that successfully impacted the identified target, taking out about 10 other terrorists.
The Joint Task Force said the operations underscored the growing effectiveness of Operation HADIN KAI’s integrated ISR capabilities in detecting and disrupting terrorist movements before they could develop into threats against troops and vulnerable communities.
It said the strikes also demonstrated that attempts by terrorist elements to conceal their movements, disperse into smaller groups or exploit remote locations could not guarantee freedom from detection.
Beyond the immediate operational effects, the Joint Task Force said 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.
The operations form 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 military said the sustained kinetic pressure on terrorist networks was being complemented by non-kinetic efforts, including community engagement, strategic communication, counter-messaging, humanitarian coordination and encouragement of terrorists and their associates to abandon violence and surrender.
It said the increasing number of surrenders recorded in recent weeks further reflected the pressure on terrorist networks and reinforced the message that there remained a credible pathway away from terrorism.
Operation HADIN KAI urged members of the public to remain vigilant and continue providing timely and credible information to security forces.
The Joint Task Force said community cooperation remained essential to early threat detection, protection of lives and property, and consolidation of gains recorded in the counter-terrorism campaign.
It assured that Operation HADIN KAI would 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.
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