The Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai launched a precision airstrike on December 25, targeting an Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) staging area in Dogon Chikun, Borno State.

The operation, carried out in the aftermath of infighting among ISWAP factions, reportedly resulted in the elimination of at least 32 fighters, according to impeccable sources who carried out damages assessments in the aftermath of the strikes.

Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama, a security expert in the Lake Chad Basin area that the airstrikes reportedly struck the location where ISWAP fighters had regrouped following clashes with a rival faction. In addition to the heavy casualties, several weapons and other critical equipment belonging to the insurgents were destroyed in the attack.

?This operation was strategically timed and executed to dismantle the group?s staging area and degrade their capacity for further attacks,? the source added.

Operation Hadin Kai, the Nigerian military?s counter-insurgency operation in the Northeast, has continued to intensify its offensives against ISWAP and Boko Haram, targeting key hideouts and logistics hubs.

Dogon Chikun, a known hotspot for insurgent activities, has been under close surveillance due to its strategic importance to ISWAP operations. (The Guardian, but headline rejigged)