Security sources said the operation targeted an ISWAP enclave in Kukawa Local Government Area following intelligence and surveillance efforts.
At least 21 suspected fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) were reportedly killed during a joint air operation involving the Nigerian military and the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) in Borno State.
According to security sources, the strike was carried out on May 30 in Arege, Kukawa Local Government Area, after intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations confirmed insurgent activity within the area.
The targeted location was said to be a camp used by ISWAP fighters to coordinate and plan operations across the Lake Chad region. The operation reportedly resulted in the death of 21 fighters and disrupted the group’s operational capacity.
Military sources described the strike as intelligence-driven and carefully executed, underscoring the growing security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States in ongoing counterterrorism operations.
The operation forms part of broader efforts aimed at weakening insurgent networks, dismantling their hideouts and reducing their ability to launch attacks across the North-East.
Officials expressed confidence that sustained collaboration and coordinated operations would further limit insurgent activities around the Lake Chad Basin, where terrorist groups have continued attempts to regroup.