Nigerian counter-terrorism forces under Joint Task Force North East, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), launched a major offensive against insurgent strongholds in the early hours of Monday, October 26, 2026. The operation resulted in the deaths of 16 suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters and left a senior terrorist commander severely injured.
​The operation unfolded between 1:00 AM and 2:00 AM when military air units and ground artillery weapon systems executed simultaneous precision strikes across three identified insurgent locations within the Tunbunma axis of South Lake Chad.
According to military officials, the operation was triggered by credible intelligence revealing that key terrorist leaders and fighters had assembled in the difficult marshland terrain.
​Confirming the operation in an official statement released on Monday, the Acting Military Information Officer for Operation Hadin Kai, Captain Mohammed Goni, disclosed that a subsequent Battle Damage Assessment verified the elimination of 16 insurgents across the targeted sites.
​Among the high-value targets killed during the bombardment was Abu Zubiru, identified by intelligence authorities as an Arab national serving as a key operational figure within the group. Zubiru was killed alongside two of his close operational associates, Baana Nglewa and Jindullah Sadiq, as well as several other fighters present at the enclave.
​The military further revealed that Abu Saleem, who serves as the designated Wali (governor) of the Tunbunma sector, sustained severe injuries during the strikes along with seven other insurgents.
​Captain Goni noted that the Tunbunma sector remains a strategic focal point in the counter-insurgency campaign due to its complex network of waterways and islands, which militant factions have historically leveraged to evade ground surveillance.
Reaffirming the military’s resolve, Goni stated that Operation Hadin Kai will sustain its intelligence-driven offensive to ensure no safe haven remains for terrorist factions in the North East, while urging members of the general public to continue providing timely and actionable information to security forces.
