Troops of the Northeast Joint Task Force under Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have neutralized an Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) Shura council member and other fighters in the Babangida-Dapchi axis of Yobe state. According to credible military sources in Damaturu, the elimination of the Shura council member identified as Abu Jarir followed a coordinated ground and aerial military operation in the Babangida-Dapchi axis along the 130-kilometre Damaturu/Bayamari road.
Details of the Operation
Confirming the incident on Sunday, a military source stated: “It was on 22nd April 2026 at about 6:12 p.m., we received an intelligence report that a senior terrorist figure, Abu Jarir was eliminated by our ground troops in the Babangida general area.” Other security sources noted that the neutralisation of the ISWAP commander has been considered a significant blow to the terrorist leadership structure in the Lake Chad region, which comprises Niger, Chad, Cameroon, and Nigeria.
Impact on ISWAP Leadership
The sources further revealed: “The overall ISWAP commander in the Lake Chad region, identified as Ba Shuwa, reportedly dispatched a search and rescue team to recover the body of the killed commander on the same day of elimination by the troops.” The ISWAP search party was said to have been sighted moving on about a dozen motorcycles in the Aljanna Jaule area in Yobe state.
Further details on the ongoing counter-terrorism operations are expected as exploitation of the troops continues in the Babangida-Dapchi axis and Sasawa Forest of Yobe state.
