NAF Bombs ISWAP ‘Market’ in Jilli After Benisheik Attack, Nabs Key Suspects
Fighter jets of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) have bombed a key Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) gathering point described as a “terrorists’ market” in the Jilli axis of Borno State, in a retaliatory strike following the deadly attack on troops in Benisheik.
PRNigeria reports that Brigadier General Oseni Omoh Braimah, Commander of the 29 Task Force Brigade, alongside three other personnel, including the barracks’ imam, was killed when terrorists attacked a military base in Benisheik, Kaga Local Government Area, in the early hours of April 9, 2026.
Credible defence intelligence sources told PRNigeria that the airstrike specifically targeted insurgents linked to the attack, following the confirmation of their location through coordinated intelligence.
“The strike followed credible intelligence on the movement of gun trucks and motorcycles converging on the Jilli axis,” a source said, adding that the location serves as a logistics hub and meeting point for insurgents.
Sources further indicated that the targeted “market” was largely patronised by terrorists and their collaborators, with no civilian casualties recorded.
Field reports showed that several motorcycles and a vehicle were destroyed, while scores of insurgents were neutralised. Some fighters reportedly fled after taking cover upon hearing the approaching aircraft but later returned to evacuate casualties.
Ground troops were simultaneously deployed to pursue fleeing elements, leading to additional neutralisation of insurgents and the arrest of suspected logistics couriers.
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Confirming the operation, the spokesperson of Operation HADIN KAI, Lt.-Col. Sani Uba, said the air component carried out precision strikes on a terrorist logistics hub near Jilli village in Gubio Local Government Area.
He said the operation followed sustained intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions over the Bindul–Jilli corridor, a known ISWAP movement route.
According to him, the strike disrupted planned attacks on military positions in the Gubio axis, where insurgents had recently launched coordinated assaults in Ngamdu and Benisheik.
In a related development, troops arrested a suspected logistics courier identified as “Turja Bulu” in Ngamdu, who reportedly confessed to involvement in the Benisheik attack and supplying food to insurgents operating in the Magumeri-Gubio area.
Separately, a 15-year-old suspect, Tijjani, was also apprehended while allegedly attempting to procure supplies for insurgents. In a recorded confession, he admitted participating in the Benisheik and Ngamdu attacks, stating that the group mobilised from Jilli before returning to the enclave.
He further disclosed that he was sent with ₦850,000 to procure logistics for fighters, underscoring the role of Jilli as a major staging ground for insurgent operations.
The latest strike comes months after an improvised explosive device attack along the Bindul route in January, which claimed the lives of eight soldiers.
Security authorities have reiterated that the use of motorcycles remains banned across the North-East due to their continued use by insurgents for mobility and attacks.
According to military sources, the operation underscores ongoing efforts to dismantle terrorist logistics networks and sustain pressure on insurgent enclaves across the region.
By PRNigeria
