The Nigerian military has killed eight suspected fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province, ISWAP, during a late-night aerial operation along the Bama–Maiduguri axis in Borno State.
The development was reported by Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency and security analyst covering the Lake Chad region.
According to the report, the operation was carried out at about 11:00pm. on July 22 by the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI along the Main Supply Route linking Bama, the University of Maiduguri and Maiduguri.
Makama reported that the helicopter gunship was conducting surveillance over a location previously identified through intelligence as a suspected terrorist training ground when the crew observed muzzle flashes from the area.
According to the report, the crew fired probing shots to verify the presence of insurgents, prompting armed terrorists to open fire on the aircraft.
The report stated that the hostile response confirmed the presence of the suspected ISWAP
