By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini
The Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI has destroyed a major terrorist logistics hub and enclave near the abandoned village of Jilli in Gubio Local Government Area of Borno State, following a precision air strike on April 11, 2026.
Military authorities said the operation was driven by sustained Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions over the Bindul–Jilli axis—a known corridor for Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists and their collaborators.
The strike came after a series of deadly attacks linked to the same network. In January 2026, troops moving from Gubio toward Damasak suffered an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack at Bindul, killing eight soldiers and wounding several others. More recently, on April 9, coordinated attacks in Ngamdu and Benisheik were traced back to the same logistics cell.
On the day of the strike, surveillance spotted multiple gun trucks and motorcycles moving toward Jilli, with additional vehicles converging at the same point. Human intelligence sources confirmed the gathering included terrorists, logistics handlers, and collaborators. Following a rigorous targeting process, precision strikes were launched while surveillance aircraft monitored the scene in real time.
Post-strike assessment confirmed the enclave was destroyed with high accuracy. Scores of terrorists were neutralized, and their vehicles and technicals were wrecked. Survivors were seen fleeing in multiple directions. Intelligence later revealed the group was finalizing logistics for coordinated attacks on military positions in the Gubio axis.
In a related development, on April 12, a terrorist logistics courier named Turja Bulu was arrested at Ngamdu Town. During preliminary interrogation, he confessed to participating in the April 9 attack on 29 Brigade location at Benisheik. He also stated that ISWAP had dispatched him from Jilli—where many of his fellow terrorists were hiding—to deliver food to another terrorist group around the Magumeri-Gubio area.
The Theatre Command reiterated that the use of motorcycles remains strictly prohibited across the North East operational theatre, especially in Borno and Yobe States, due to their role in terrorist movement and attacks.
Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Media Information Officer for the Joint Task Force (North East), assured residents that operations would continue with renewed intensity until all terrorist enclaves are dismantled and lasting peace is restored.
