Military air strikes have reportedly killed more than 40 Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters in Badu village, south of Gudumbali in Borno State, while destroying vehicles and motorcycles belonging to the insurgents.
Gatekeepers News reports that Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication, reported that the operation was carried out on October 10, targeting a concentration of ISWAP’s elite Murabitun fighters.
The air strikes reportedly destroyed two vehicles and about 20 motorcycles used by the insurgents.
According to the publication, the Murabitun fighters were believed to have been deployed to the area for mobile patrols and surveillance operations.
“According to the preliminary intelligence report, a prominent Qaid (commander) was among those reportedly killed, while the majority of the casualties were recorded inside and around a building hit during the air operation,” Makama said.
The publication described the Murabitun as an elite mobile patrol unit typically deployed for periods of two to four weeks to conduct opportunistic attacks and provide early warning along the Gudumbali-Kukawa-Gajiram corridor.
It said the fighters were believed to have been operating in the area to prevent Nigerian troops from advancing towards the Lake Chad region.
Makama further reported that ISWAP fighters from the Lake Chad area arrived in Badu early on October 11 to evacuate surviving casualties and recover those affected by the air strikes.
According to the publication, sources said the arriving insurgents allegedly engaged Fulani herders around the abandoned village.
The reported operation comes amid sustained military efforts to disrupt insurgent movements and weaken ISWAP’s operational capabilities in the Lake Chad region.
