Nigeria Says Airstrike Killed 40 Islamic State Fighters
NIGERIA · SECURITY
Key Facts
- —The country Nigeria, in West Africa, has fought jihadist insurgents for years in its north-eastern Borno State, including the Islamic State’s regional branch.
- —What happened Nigeria’s military says an airstrike on Saturday 10 October killed more than 40 Islamic State fighters in Badu village, south of Gudumbali, Borno State.
- —Who said it Mohammed Goni, spokesman for Operation Hadin Kai, the military’s task force in the north-east, gave the figure on Monday 12 October in Maiduguri.
- —The numbers More than 40 fighters dead, including an unnamed commander, plus two vehicles and about 20 motorcycles destroyed, the military says.
- —What it means for you The US lists the group as a foreign terrorist organisation and rates Borno Level 4, Do Not Travel.
- —Still open No independent death toll, no name for the commander, and no word on civilians or Nigerian losses.
A Nigeria airstrike in Borno State killed more than 40 Islamic State fighters on Saturday 10 October, the country’s military said on Monday. It says the dead belonged to Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which Washington has listed as a terrorist organisation since 2018.
The strike hit a building in Badu village, south of the town of Gudumbali in Guzamala, a district of northern Borno. For US readers, it matters because Washington treats ISWAP as a terrorist threat and tells Americans never to travel to Borno.
What the Military Says Happened
Mohammed Goni, spokesman for Operation Hadin Kai, announced the strike in Maiduguri, Borno’s capital, on Monday 12 October, the Nigerian newspaper Premium Times reported. Operation Hadin Kai is the Nigerian military’s joint task force against jihadist groups in the country’s north-east.
Goni said the task force’s air component struck after aerial surveillance of suspected hideouts and supply sites. Intelligence showed ISWAP fighters assembling to launch coordinated attacks on troops in the area, the state-owned News Agency of Nigeria reported.
Preliminary human intelligence and a battle damage assessment indicated more than 40 Islamic State fighters dead, including a prominent ISWAP commander, Goni said. Two vehicles and about 20 motorcycles were also destroyed, and the full assessment of the damage was still under way.
Who the Islamic State Fighters Were
ISWAP is the Islamic State’s branch in the Lake Chad region, where Nigeria meets Niger, Chad and Cameroon. The US State Department lists it as ISIS-West Africa and designated it a foreign terrorist organisation on 28 February 2018.
The military says the dead came from the group’s Murabitun unit, a mobile force that runs patrols and coordinates attacks. Zagazola Makama, a Nigerian security news site that follows the insurgency, calls it an elite patrol element usually deployed for two to four weeks.
According to Zagazola Makama, the unit patrols the corridor linking Gudumbali, Kukawa and Gajiram and aims to stop Nigerian troops advancing toward Lake Chad. Its security sources said ISWAP fighters from the lake area came to Badu at first light on Sunday 11 October to evacuate surviving wounded.
A Busy Front in Northern Borno
Borno State, in Nigeria’s far north-east, is the heartland of an insurgency that began with Boko Haram, an older jihadist group. Washington designated Boko Haram a foreign terrorist organisation on 14 November 2013, more than four years before ISWAP.
The Badu strike follows an insurgent assault on troops in Kukawa that the army reported on Wednesday 7 October, also in northern Borno. Kukawa lies on the same corridor that, according to Zagazola Makama, the Murabitun unit patrols.
What It Means for US Readers
The State Department’s travel advisory for Nigeria, dated 12 June 2026, places Borno at Level 4, Do Not Travel. It cites terrorism, crime and kidnapping and tells Americans not to go to those areas for any reason.
Nigeria as a whole is rated Level 3, Reconsider Travel. Borno shares the top level with neighbouring Yobe, northern Adamawa and several other states.
The terrorist listing has legal weight inside the United States. It makes it unlawful for anyone in the United States or under US jurisdiction to knowingly provide ISWAP with material support or resources.
What Is Not Known
No independent source has confirmed the death toll, and the military has not named the commander it says was killed. The statement did not say whether any civilians were in or near the building that was hit.
It gave no figure for Nigerian losses and did not say which aircraft carried out the strike. Zagazola Makama’s sources alleged that the returning Islamic State fighters also clashed with Fulani herders near the abandoned village, with details still awaited.
More: Nigeria news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Nigeria’s military say about the Borno airstrike?
It said an airstrike on Saturday 10 October killed more than 40 Islamic State fighters in Badu village, south of Gudumbali in Borno State. It also said two vehicles and about 20 motorcycles were destroyed.
What is ISWAP?
Islamic State West Africa Province is the Islamic State’s branch around Lake Chad. The US lists it as ISIS-West Africa, a foreign terrorist organisation since 28 February 2018.
Can Americans travel to Borno State?
The US State Department rates Borno Level 4, Do Not Travel, citing terrorism, crime and kidnapping. Nigeria as a whole is rated Level 3, Reconsider Travel.
Has anyone independently confirmed the death toll?
No. The figure comes from the military’s preliminary assessment, and the commander it says was killed has not been named.
What is Operation Hadin Kai?
It is the Nigerian military’s joint task force against jihadist groups in the north-east. Its spokesman, Mohammed Goni, issued Monday’s statement in Maiduguri.
Sources: Premium Times (News Agency of Nigeria report), 12 October 2026; Zagazola Makama, 12 October 2026; US State Department, Nigeria travel advisory, 12 June 2026; US State Department, Foreign Terrorist Organizations, accessed 12 October 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief