Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), under Operation Hadin Kai, have eliminated a senior Boko Haram/ISWAP figure identified as Abu Khalid.
Khalid, described as the second-in-command of Boko Haram in the Sambisa Forest, was killed alongside 10 other insurgents during a night operation carried out in Borno state.
The Theatre Command Media Information Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Sani Uba, confirmed the development in a statement issued on Sunday.
“Barely 24 hours after troops eliminated the notorious Boko Haram/ISWAP commander, Julaibib, operating within the Gujba axis of the Timbuktu Triangle, troops of Sector 1, in conjunction with members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) on Operation Desert Sanity, made contact with terrorists at the Komala general area of Konduga Local Government Area during night offensives at about 11:00 p.m.,” Uba said.
“Abu Khalid was a key figure within the terrorist hierarchy, coordinating operations and logistics in the Sambisa axis.”
Uba said the operation led to the recovery of five AK-47 rifles, magazines, several bicycles, assorted logistics and food supplies, as well as a large quantity of medical items.
He added that no casualties were recorded among the troops, noting that morale remains high as clearance operations continue across the Sambisa Forest, Mandara Mountains, Timbuktu Triangle, and other known Boko Haram and ISWAP hideouts in the North-East.
Nigeria has battled insurgency in the region for over a decade, with the conflict claiming more than 40,000 lives and displacing about two million people since 2009, according to United Nations data.
The violence has also spread into neighbouring Niger, Cameroon, and Chad, prompting the formation of a regional military coalition to combat the jihadist groups.
The latest operation comes a day after an ISWAP roadside bomb along the Wajiroko–Azir axis in the Damboa area injured several soldiers.
Although insurgent violence has declined from its peak years ago, analysts have warned of a resurgence in attacks over the past year.
The United States has recently criticised Nigeria’s handling of the conflict, with President Donald Trump describing the situation as “persecution” of Christians — a claim rejected by the Nigerian government and independent analysts.
Despite the disagreement, Nigeria and the US have conducted joint airstrikes, which authorities say killed several militants, though the figures have yet to be independently verified.