The Air Component of Joint Task Force (North East), operating under Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), launched a precision air strike on a terrorist stronghold at Tumbunma Baba in the Tumbun general area of Borno State, killing more than 18 fighters and destroying their support infrastructure. The operation was carried out in the early hours of Friday, September 11, 2026, following weeks of intelligence work, according to Captain Mohammed Goni, the Acting Media Information Officer of the Headquarters Joint Task Force North East Operation.
Intelligence-Led Planning and Surveillance
Captain Goni, in a press statement issued on Friday night, said the mission was the result of weeks of intelligence gathering that revealed senior terrorist figures were assembling at a cluster of meeting points and logistics hubs situated on the islands. The Theatre Command then conducted further surveillance, followed by confirmatory Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) that began on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, confirming the site was actively used as a base for terrorist coordination and supply.
“The air strikes successfully destroyed the targeted structures and neutralized over 18 terrorist elements. The operation thus dealt a significant blow to terrorist activities in the area, disrupting their logistics and degrading their ability to use the enclave as a gathering and support base,” Goni said.
Execution and Ground Coordination
Air platforms fired precision munitions at the identified targets while ground troops from Sector 1 OPHK sealed off surrounding escape routes to intercept any fighters who attempted to flee. The operation combined ISR platforms, attack aircraft, and ground troops working together to hit terrorist structures in the Tumbunma Baba area.
A post-strike review put the success rate at roughly 85 per cent of the intended operational objectives. Goni said the results reinforced the value of combining intelligence-led planning with timely aerial surveillance and joint air-ground coordination.
Impact and Next Steps
Goni added that OPHK would continue to run intelligence-driven operations to deny terrorists the ability to regroup, resupply, or establish new support bases across the North East theatre. Members of the public were urged to stay alert and pass credible information to security forces to help identify and disrupt terrorist activities in the region.
In a related development, the Nigerian Air Force carried out a separate air strike in the Sambisa Forest area of Borno State on Saturday, August 8, 2026, killing a senior ISWAP commander identified as Abu Khalid Al Muhajir. NAF said some of the targeted fighters were linked to a recent ambush on Nigerian troops in Gwoza Local Government Area.
