The Nigerian Army has announced that scores of suspected terrorists were killed in a precision airstrike on a hideout in Jilli, a community in Yobe State bordering Borno, even as concerns persist over reported civilian casualties.
In a statement issued by Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, spokesperson for Operation Hadin Kai, the military described the 11 April strike as a “carefully planned and intelligence-driven” operation targeting a terrorist enclave and logistics hub in the area.
According to the Army, the location had long been identified as a key movement corridor and meeting point for fighters linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
The operation followed weeks of intensified intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance activities, triggered by recent attacks on military positions.
Mr Uba referenced a January improvised explosive device (IED) attack along the Gubio–Damasak road that killed eight soldiers, as well as assaults in Ngamdu and Benisheikh on 9 April, as factors leading to the strike.
He said surveillance detected the movement of motorcycles and gun trucks converging on the location, which was later confirmed through human intelligence as a gathering of terrorists and logistics couriers preparing for further attacks.
“Upon final validation, the Air Component executed a series of precision strikes on the target,” he said.
According to him, real-time aerial monitoring confirmed the accuracy of the operation.
Numerous fighters killed
The military stated that the strike destroyed the logistics hub, killed numerous fighters, and damaged vehicles and equipment, while some survivors were seen fleeing the area.
The Army also disclosed the arrest of a suspected logistics courier, identified as Turja Bulu, in Ngamdu on 12 April.
According to the military, the suspect confessed to involvement in the 9 April attack on a brigade in Benisheikh and to transporting supplies from Jilli to other insurgent cells in the Magumeri-Gubio axis.
However, the Army did not address reports of civilian casualties, which has attracted condemnation across the country.
The military maintained that it will continue to sustain pressure on terrorist networks and dismantle their enclaves across the North-east.
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) had earlier confirmed the operation through its spokesperson, Ehimen Ejodame in a statement on Sunday.
NAF said the operation conducted in collaboration with ground troops of the Nigerian Army targeted terrorists.
