NAF airstrike kills nine ISWAP fighters, top commander Abu Khalid Al Muhajir in Sambisa Forest (see video)

• NAF carried out a precision airstrike in Sambisa Forest after receiving credible intelligence on ISWAP movements.

• Nine ISWAP fighters were killed, while several others were reportedly injured.

• Top ISWAP commander Abu Khalid Al Muhajir was among those killed in the operation.

• The military believes the strike will disrupt ISWAP's leadership movements and weaken the group's operations in the North-East.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says it has dealt another heavy blow to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), killing nine fighters, including one of the group's key commanders, during a precision airstrike in Borno State.

The operation happened on Saturday, August 8, 2026, after security forces received credible intelligence about the movement of suspected terrorists inside the Sambisa Forest.

In a statement released on Sunday, the Director of Public Relations and Information at the NAF Headquarters, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said the mission was intelligence-driven and relied on a Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) to monitor the terrorists before carrying out the strike.

According to him, the aircraft kept the suspects under surveillance as they moved towards what was believed to be one of their hideouts deep inside the forest.

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He said once the target was confirmed, the aircraft launched a precision strike.

“The successful operation, conducted on Saturday, 8 August 2026, followed credible intelligence on the activities and movement of suspected terrorists within the Sambisa Forest area. Acting on the intelligence, the NAF deployed a Remotely Piloted Aircraft to conduct persistent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, enabling the identification and tracking of a group of terrorists as they moved towards a suspected hideout.

“Following positive identification and confirmation of the target, the NAF aircraft conducted a precision engagement on the location. Subsequent battle damage assessment indicated significant effects on the targeted compound, with several terrorists neutralised.

“Further intelligence received after the strike confirmed that nine ISWAP fighters were killed, while several others were wounded. Among those reportedly neutralised was Abu Khalid Al Muhajir, described as a prominent ISWAP commander responsible for providing special security escorts for the movement of senior members of the terrorist group.”

The Air Force identified the slain commander as Abu Khalid Al Muhajir, describing him as a high-ranking ISWAP operative who coordinated security escorts for senior leaders of the terrorist group.

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According to the military, Al Muhajir was also familiar with key routes, terrain and movement corridors linking major ISWAP enclaves across the Sambisa Forest and nearby areas. His death is expected to disrupt the group's operations and make it more difficult for top commanders to move around safely.

The NAF also revealed that intelligence gathered after the operation linked some of the terrorists hit in the airstrike to those suspected to have carried out the recent ambush on Nigerian troops along the Bita-Yamtage axis in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.

Military authorities said the latest operation highlights the growing impact of intelligence-led air missions, where persistent surveillance is combined with precision strikes to target terrorist movements with greater accuracy.

The military has continued to intensify air and ground operations across Nigeria's North-East as part of ongoing efforts to dismantle ISWAP and Boko Haram strongholds in Borno and neighbouring states.