Troops of the Nigerian Army have killed two Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists, including a senior commander identified as Mallam Ali, during a failed attack on a military base in Adamawa State.
Mallam Ali was reportedly the Amirul Fiya, the commander responsible for overseeing the fighting forces of ISWAP’s notorious Timbuktu Triangle enclave in Borno State.
The terrorists were neutralised when insurgents launched a midnight attack on the Forward Operating Base (FOB) of the Army’s 226 Battalion at Zangula Kilba Junction in Gombi Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
The attack reportedly occurred at about 12:05 a.m. on November 10, 2026, when the insurgents attempted to overrun the military facility.
However, troops, supported by local hunters and Rangers, successfully repelled the attack, killing two of the assailants.
Military sources described the elimination of Mallam Ali as a significant operational development, considering his reported position in ISWAP’s fighting hierarchy and his responsibilities within the Timbuktu Triangle.
The Timbuktu Triangle, located within the Lake Chad operational theatre, is regarded as one of the strategic areas associated with ISWAP’s activities, particularly the movement and deployment of its fighters.
Following the successful operation, troops recovered two AK-47 rifles, four magazines and various ammunition from the scene.
The recovered ammunition included 125 rounds of 7.62mm x 54, 77 rounds of 7.62mm x 51 and 20 rounds of 7.62mm x 39, alongside two belted links of 7.62mm x 54 ammunition.
Other items recovered included a mobile telephone, a wristwatch, a camel bag and N15,000 in cash.
The killing of the reported senior commander is expected to affect ISWAP’s fighting structure, while information that could be extracted from the recovered mobile telephone and other materials may provide intelligence about the group’s operational networks.
The Nigerian Army has continued operations against insurgent groups in the North-East as security forces intensify efforts to weaken their activities across the region.
