OPHK forces, Air Unit explains targeted attack on Jilli village in Borno

Joint Task Force North East Operation HADIN KAI, in collaboration with its Air Component, has successfully neutralized a key terrorists' logistics hub and enclave at Jilli village in Borno State's Gubio local government area, contrary to reports of significant civilian casualties.

This operation was carried out through a precision air strike, which was the result of careful planning and intelligence gathering, as disclosed by Lt. Col. Sani Uba, the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force North East Operation HADIN KAI, in a press statement on Sunday.

The air strike, which took place on 11 April 2026, followed sustained intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance missions over the Bindul-Jilli axis, an area known to be a major terrorist movement corridor and convergence point for Islamic State West Africa Province terrorists and their collaborators.

In January 2026, troops moving from Gubio to Damasak came under a major Improvised Explosive Device attack at Bindul, resulting in the loss of eight soldiers and wounding several others, and more recently, on 9 April, coordinated attacks were recorded in Ngamdu and Benisheik, supported by the same terrorist logistics network.

On 11 April 2026, multiple reports were received of ISWAP Gun Trucks and Motorcycles moving along the axis, prompting the intensification of ISR coverage over the area, which revealed a contingent of motorcycles moving toward Jilli, followed by several additional vehicles converging on the same location.

These suspicious movements were corroborated by credible human intelligence sources, confirming that the converging elements were terrorists, their collaborators, and logistics handlers, and a rigorous and professional targeting process was undertaken to validate the target.

Target fidelity was confirmed through multiple credible Human Intelligence sources, supported by persistent aerial surveillance, and upon final validation, the Air Component executed a series of precision strikes against the objective, while Surveillance platforms maintained continuous overwatch for real-time battle-damage assessment.

The post-strike assessment confirmed that the target area was struck with high accuracy, resulting in the destruction of the identified terrorist logistics enclave, with scores of terrorists neutralized, their vehicles and technicals destroyed, and surviving elements observed fleeing in multiple directions.

Intelligence further indicates that the neutralized elements were in the final stages of receiving logistics from couriers for coordinated attacks on troop locations within the Gubio axis, and this decisive action has significantly disrupted imminent terrorist plans and degraded their operational capability within the Theatre.

On 12 April 2026, a terrorist logistics courier, identified as Turja Bulu, was arrested at Ngamdu Town and confessed to participating in the attack on 29 Bde location on 9 April 2026 at Benisheik, and had been dispatched by ISWAP from Jilli to provide food items for another group of terrorists.

This successful strike demonstrates the resolve and operational capability of OPHK to sustain relentless pressure on terrorist elements, disrupt their logistics networks, and deny them freedom of movement within the Theatre.

The Theatre Command has reiterated that the use of motorcycles remains strictly prohibited across the North East operational theatre, particularly in Borno and Yobe States, due to their established and continued use by terrorist elements for movement, logistics, and attack operations.

Joint Task Force North East OPHK has assured the people of the North East and all law-abiding Nigerians that ongoing operations will continue with renewed intensity until all terrorist enclaves are dismantled and lasting peace and economic stability are restored to the North East region, according to Lt. Col. Sani Uba.