The Nigerian military says its air component has neutralised about 36 suspected terrorists in a series of precision air strikes conducted in parts of Borno State.
The operations were carried out between the night of August 21 and the early hours of August 22, 2026, by the Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI.
According to the military, the strikes followed credible intelligence and surveillance missions that identified movements and concentrations of suspected terrorists in different locations.
In one of the operations, an armed reconnaissance platform detected suspected terrorists around the Aduwa axis in Monguno Local Government Area before identifying a larger concentration within a settlement.
The military said two precision strikes were subsequently conducted after the required authorisation, with a battle damage assessment indicating that about 16 terrorists were neutralised.
The aircraft reportedly continued surveillance of the area and later detected another group of about 10 terrorists attempting to regroup away from the initial target.
A further precision strike was conducted, with the military saying the group was successfully engaged.
In a separate operation around Buratai in Biu Local Government Area, another Operation HADIN KAI air platform tracked a group of suspected terrorists gathered at a location and conducted a precision strike after sustained surveillance.
The military said the operation resulted in the neutralisation of about 10 additional terrorists.
The Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI, Capt. Mohammed Goni, said the operations demonstrated the growing effectiveness of the military’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.
Goni said the air strikes were designed to disrupt terrorist movements and prevent the groups from regrouping, exploiting remote locations or operating freely within the theatre.
He added that the military’s kinetic operations were being complemented by non-kinetic measures, including community engagement, strategic communication, counter-messaging, humanitarian coordination and efforts to encourage terrorists and their associates to surrender.
According to him, the increasing number of surrenders recorded in recent weeks reflected the growing pressure on terrorist networks and reinforced the availability of a pathway away from violence.
The military urged residents to remain vigilant and continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies, stressing that community cooperation remained crucial to early threat detection and the protection of lives and property.
Goni said Operation HADIN KAI would sustain coordinated operations against terrorist networks while supporting efforts to restore peace, security and normal socio-economic activities across the North-East.