Fresh intelligence emerging from the Sambisa Forest indicates significant disarray within the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) following a series of coordinated ground and aerial strikes by Nigerian forces that dislodged key terrorist hideouts and neutralised dozens of fighters at the turn of the new year.

Zagazola Makama report that on Jan. 2, 2026, intercepted intelligence revealed growing concern among senior ISWAP commanders, including Jundullah and Ibn Hataf, after troops launched a surprise and “deadly” assault on the Balangaje hideout deep inside the Sambisa Forest on Jan. 1.

According to the sources, the Balangaje position described as a long-standing ISWAP enclave was completely overrun by the troops of Operation HADIN KAI, forcing surviving fighters to flee in disarray to other parts of the forest.

The commanders reportedly admitted that their forces were caught unprepared, resulting in a chaotic retreat in which many fighters were cut off and forced to escape individually, abandoning weapons, logistics and command structures.

More critically, the terrorists expressed concern over the fate of several senior commanders who have remained unaccounted for since the assault, raising strong indications of leadership casualties or severe command-and-control breakdown.

Security sources confirmed that the ground assault on Balangaje was launched by forces of 21 Armored Brigade operating in Nguro Soye in Bama Local Government Area.

Zagazola report that this ground success was decisively reinforced by precision air operations conducted under Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), marking what one source described as a “welcome to 2026” for insurgent groups operating in the North-East.

On Jan. 1, following authorisation by OPHK, air assets engaged multiple high-value terrorist targets across Sambisa, Gava and the wider OPHK Area of Responsibility.

At about 0027 hours, an armed aircraft code-named Dragon, carried out a precision strike on a building with solar panels at Chiralia, identified as a terrorist logistics and command facility. Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) confirmed the structure was engulfed in flames, with secondary explosions suggesting the presence of stored fuel, explosives or logistics caches.

Further ISR operations tracked suspected Boko Haram Terrorists converging between rocky outcrops in the Gava axis. At approximately 0035 hours on Jan. 2, a precision strike was authorised and executed on the identified coordinates, with Battle Damaged Assessment confirming that about 11 suspected terrorists were neutralised.

Minutes later, surveillance assets observed about 10 additional terrorists fleeing the Gava settlements in panic after hearing the explosions. Continuous tracking revealed another convergence of about eight fighters under a tree, prompting a second precision strike at about 0114 hours.

BDA from the second engagement indicated that the eight terrorists were neutralised, while others fled in different directions. A secondary explosion was again observed near the strike point, reinforcing assessments that the location served as a weapons or logistics cache.

In a related operation, ISR assets identified a large concealed structure covered by trees and fitted with materials suspected to be solar panels, alongside a smaller adjoining building. Following clearance, the larger structure was engaged at about 0229 hours on Jan. 2, with BDA confirming its complete destruction.

Security analysts say the cumulative impact of these strikes has been profound. Beyond the immediate neutralisation of fighters, the operations degraded ISWAP’s logistics, energy supply, shelter and command infrastructure, while also exposing vulnerabilities in what had been considered secure forest hideouts.

The fact that ISWAP commanders are openly worried about missing senior leaders is significant. It points to either high-value casualties or a breakdown in their internal communication, both of which weaken their operational effectiveness.

The Sambisa Forest, once the symbolic and operational heartland of Boko Haram factions, has increasingly become a contested battlespace, with sustained intelligence-driven operations denying terrorists the freedom to regroup or reorganise.

The latest operations also illustrated the growing synergy between ground surface forces and air assets, particularly ISR-enabled precision strikes that exploit real-time intelligence to devastating effect.

The loss of Balangaje and the destruction of multiple hideouts across Chiralia, Gava and IRONS GATE axes further compress ISWAP fighters into smaller, more exposed pockets, increasing the likelihood of defections, internal fragmentation and further leadership losses.

As of press time, operations across the Sambisa Forest were ongoing.

The latest successes reaffirm the momentum of Operation Hadin Kai and suggest that insurgent groups entering 2026 are doing so under sustained pressure, shrinking space and growing internal anxiety over survival. (Zagazola)

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