Airstrikes conducted by troops of Operation Hadin Kai have reportedly killed about 38 suspected terrorists in separate precision operations across Borno State.
The strikes were carried out between the night of Friday, August 21, and the early hours of Saturday, August 22, 2026, following intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions that detected movements of suspected terrorists in different locations.
According to reports obtained by The News Chronicle, the first operation occurred around Aduwa at about 10:23 p.m. on Friday after an armed reconnaissance aircraft received intelligence on the presence of terrorist vehicles and fighters in the area.
The aircraft tracked the suspects to a settlement where several fighters had gathered before carrying out a precision strike on the larger concentration.
The strike was assessed to have killed approximately 16 suspected terrorists.
Makama said the operation continued after midnight when the aircraft tracked about 10 terrorists who had fled the initial strike and regrouped near a tree.
A second strike was subsequently conducted on the group, with battle damage assessment indicating that all 10 were neutralised.
The two strikes around Aduwa were therefore assessed to have killed about 26 suspected terrorists.
In a separate operation around Buratai, another precision strike platform tracked about 12 suspected terrorists to a hut.
The target was struck at about 12:31 a.m. on Saturday after the required operational authorisation was obtained. According to Makama, the strike recorded a direct hit and was assessed to have killed all 12 suspects at the location.
The two operations consequently brought the reported number of suspected terrorists killed to about 38.
The latest airstrikes come as troops of Operation Hadin Kai intensify operations against terrorist networks across the North-East, targeting their leadership, logistics, fighting formations and freedom of movement.
Military sources cited in the report described the general security situation as “calm but unpredictable”, while the morale and fighting efficiency of troops remained “satisfactory”.
Makama said the latest strikes were expected to further disrupt terrorist command-and-control structures and prevent insurgents from massing fighters without detection.
He added that terrorist groups were increasingly being forced to abandon large gatherings and resort to smaller, concealed movements.
“Concealment alone may no longer guarantee safety,” he said, noting that the development could be linked to a reported increase of more than 250 per cent in terrorist surrenders over the past month.
