NAF Air Strikes Kill Senior ISWAP Commander, Bashir Dauda, 49 Fighters In Borno

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has confirmed the death of a high-ranking Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) commander, Bashir Dauda, along with 49 other fighters in targeted air strikes in Marte Local Government Area, Borno State.

The operation, conducted by NAF fighter jets, also led to the destruction of a crucial ISWAP supply depot in the Jubularam enclave, which stored substantial quantities of food and essential supplies.

According to NAF spokesman, Air Commodore Olusola Akinboyewa, who announced the operation on Tuesday, the air strikes were a coordinated response aimed at crippling ISWAP’s logistical base and weakening its operational capacity.

He said, “The NAF conducted a series of Air interdictions targeting three significant enclaves of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists in Marte Local Government Area on October 31.

“The precision strikes were focused on ISWAP strongholds in Tumbun Daribiyar, Jubularam, Buluwa, and Tumbu Karfe, marking a major effort in the ongoing fight against terrorism in Nigeria’s Northeast.

“An on-ground assessment confirmed that approximately 50 terrorists, including a high-ranking ISWAP commander known as Bashir Dauda, were neutralized in the operation. Additionally, an ISWAP supply depot in the Jubularam enclave, filled with a substantial cache of food and essential items like beans, millet, and rice, was destroyed, effectively severing a critical resource line for the terrorists.”

Akinboyewa said the successful air strikes, which he said were targeted at terrorists and logistics bases, underscored NAF’s ongoing “commitment to supporting ground forces and enhancing joint efforts to decimate terrorist strongholds in the region.”