The Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai has carried out a precision air strike on a suspected terrorist logistics hub and enclave near Jilli in Gubio Local Government Area of Borno State, neutralising scores of insurgents and disrupting planned attacks in the region.
The operation, conducted on April 11, 2026, followed sustained Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions over the Bindul–Jilli corridor, a route long identified by security forces as a major movement and convergence point for fighters linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Military authorities said the strike was prompted by renewed intelligence after recent attacks in the North-East. In January, troops advancing from Gubio towards Damasak were hit by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) at Bindul, leaving eight soldiers dead and several others injured. Similar coordinated attacks were also recorded on April 9 in Ngamdu and Benisheik, reportedly supported by the same logistics network.
According to a statement issued by Media Information Officer Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, the military, intensified surveillance on April 11 detected multiple movements of gun trucks and motorcycles along the axis. Aerial monitoring observed groups converging near Jilli, a development later confirmed by human intelligence sources to involve terrorists, collaborators and logistics handlers.
Following a detailed targeting process and final validation, air assets executed a series of strikes on the location while surveillance platforms conducted real-time battle damage assessment.
Post-strike analysis indicated that the operation achieved high accuracy, destroying the identified enclave along with several vehicles and equipment. Scores of insurgents were reportedly killed, while others fled the area. Intelligence assessments suggest those neutralised were in the final stages of receiving supplies intended for coordinated attacks on military positions within the Gubio axis.
In a related development, troops on April 12 arrested a suspected logistics courier identified as “Turja Bulu” in Ngamdu. During preliminary interrogation, he reportedly confessed to involvement in the April 9 attack on a military formation in Benisheik and disclosed that he had been dispatched from Jilli to deliver supplies to other insurgent groups operating within the Magumeri–Gubio area.
The military described the operation as a significant blow to terrorist logistics networks, noting that it has disrupted imminent attack plans and further degraded insurgents’ operational capacity.
Authorities also reiterated the ongoing ban on motorcycle movements across parts of the North-East, particularly in Borno and Yobe states, citing their continued use by insurgents for mobility and logistics.
Operation Hadin Kai reaffirmed its commitment to sustained offensives aimed at dismantling terrorist enclaves and restoring lasting peace across the region.
