Nigerian security forces killed several senior commanders belonging to the Islamic State West Africa Province during a military operation in northeastern Nigeria. The engagement took place on the evening of October 31.
Captain Mohammed Goni, the acting media information officer for Operation Hadin Kai, released an official statement on Sunday. The clash occurred in the Kukawa Local Government Area after insurgents initiated an assault on military positions.
The military identified two of the dead insurgent leaders as Abu Hajara, a prominent member of the ISWAP Shura Council, and Abul Walid, a senior commander closely associated with the group’s overall leader, Ba Shuwa.
Two other high-ranking fighters and several additional insurgents also died during the exchange. Troops received key support from military air assets during the operation.
Security forces repelled the insurgent assault. Soldiers recovered a cache of weapons, ammunition, and various communication devices from the site.
This engagement followed a separate military operation three days prior in Buni Yadi. In that incident, Nigerian troops killed 55 insurgents, which included several commanders.
The armed forces stated that these successive operations form part of broader efforts to weaken ISWAP leadership and dismantle operational networks across northeastern Nigeria.
ISWAP originated from a fracture within Boko Haram in 2016. The faction has grown into a major insurgent force operating across the Lake Chad Basin, spanning Nigeria and neighbouring countries.
The wider insurgency in northeastern Nigeria began in 2009. The ongoing conflict has caused thousands of deaths, displaced millions of residents, and severely disrupted livelihoods and humanitarian operations throughout the region.
