The death toll of terrorists neutralised during a failed infiltration attempt on troops’ position in Malam Fatori, Abadam Local Government Area of Borno, has risen to 75.
Security analysts have described the operation as one of the most decisive recent blows against the Islamic State West Africa Province — a victory achieved largely through devastating air power.
Initial reports had put the number of insurgents killed at 61, following a coordinated response by troops of Operation Hadin Kai, supported by the Nigerian Air Force.
However, updated battlefield assessments and mop-up operations indicate that at least 75 fighters were neutralised, with several others believed to have escaped with severe injuries.
The attack, which occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, saw ISWAP fighters advancing on foot toward the 68 Battalion location, reportedly deploying armed drones in an attempt to breach defensive lines. The infiltration, launched from the Duguri axis toward the Bravo Company frontage, was swiftly detected and repelled — but it was the response from above that turned the tide decisively.
Military sources said the success of the operation was anchored on superior coordination between air and ground forces, illustrating the growing effectiveness of joint-force synergy in counter-insurgency operations in the North-East. Four precision air interdiction strikes were conducted on identified terrorist withdrawal routes, effectively degrading their combat capability and disrupting their manoeuvre. The integration of air power ensured that the insurgents were fixed in position and subjected to sustained bombardment, forcing a chaotic withdrawal toward the Arege axis.
Further compounding the losses of the terrorist group was the intervention of allied air assets from the Niger Republic, which carried out additional strike passes on fleeing terrorists. Although a full battle damage assessment of those strikes is still ongoing, security sources believe the combined firepower from both nations’ air forces significantly increased the casualty figures, turning a battlefield defeat into a near-total rout.
On the ground, the aftermath told the story of air power’s effectiveness. Troops reportedly recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition from the battlefield, further weakening the operational capacity of the group in the Lake Chad region. The weapons and equipment left behind by fleeing fighters suggested a disorganised retreat, with many insurgents abandoning their gear in a desperate attempt to escape the aerial onslaught.
On the side of government forces, four soldiers sustained minor injuries and have since been stabilised. Their ability to coordinate ground operations while directing air strikes contributed significantly to the lopsided outcome.
Security analysts note that this operation demonstrates the maturation of Nigeria’s air-ground integration strategy, with the Nigerian Air Force proving increasingly adept at providing close air support in complex counter-insurgency environments. The addition of Nigerien air assets further highlights the growing regional cooperation in tackling the ISWAP threat that straddles both countries’ borders in the Lake Chad region.
As mop-up operations continue and battle damage assessments are refined, security forces remain on high alert for potential retaliatory actions by the degraded but still dangerous terrorist group. For now, however, the skies over Malam Fatori belong to the combined forces arrayed against ISWAP — and 75 dead fighters stand as testament to that dominance.
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