A number of senior commanders of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have reportedly surrendered to Nigerian troops in Borno State following sustained military operations targeting insurgent strongholds in the North-East.
Gatekeepers News reports that according to counter-insurgency publication Zagazola Makama, the commanders abandoned their camps after weeks of coordinated ground offensives, precision airstrikes and intelligence-led operations that have significantly weakened the group’s operational capabilities.
The publication quoted military sources as attributing the development to the intensified operations of Operation HADIN KAI.
“Military sources attributed the development to the relentless tempo of Operation HADIN KAI, which has intensified coordinated land and air operations targeting terrorist enclaves, logistics bases, supply routes and command centres across Borno and other parts of the North-East,” the publication reported.
Makama said the sustained military campaign has disrupted the group’s logistics and supply chains, restricted the movement of fighters and reduced their capacity to coordinate large-scale attacks, prompting some commanders and fighters to abandon the insurgency.
The publication noted that the latest development came just days after dozens of suspected terrorists reportedly surrendered at various locations across the North-East theatre of operations.
According to Makama, military records indicate that at least 76 terrorist fighters, along with some of their family members, voluntarily surrendered to troops under Operation HADIN KAI within the past week.
The publication added that security analysts attributed the growing wave of defections to sustained military pressure, worsening living conditions inside terrorist camps, dwindling supplies and increasing mistrust among members of the group.
“Recent intelligence has also pointed to increasing divisions within ISWAP’s leadership, with disagreements over operational decisions, dwindling resources and command authority contributing to declining morale among fighters,” Makama said.
The publication further stated that military authorities believe the current strategy—combining precision combat operations, intelligence-driven targeting, air interdiction missions and close collaboration among security and intelligence agencies—is steadily shrinking the operational space available to terrorist groups across the North-East.
