By Prosper
In a decisive counter-insurgency operation, the Nigerian military has eliminated two high-ranking commanders of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Ya Muhammad and Abou Dawuda, in Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State.
The operation, which combined ground assaults with coordinated airstrikes by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), successfully repelled an attempted terrorist attack on Damboa town, a frequently targeted flashpoint in the northeast.
According to military sources, Ya Muhammad, who served as the Ameer Fiya (Combat Unit Leader) of Garno, was one of five top ISWAP commanders who led the foiled assault.
Initially, he managed to escape the battlefield carrying two General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs), which he concealed in the Bula Bukarti forest after two of his fighters were neutralized.
However, a follow-up airstrike targeting a regrouping cluster of insurgents later struck Ya Muhammad.
His remains were recovered by fellow insurgents, causing significant disarray within the ISWAP ranks.
Ya Muhammad was not only a senior figure in the group but also closely allied with other notorious ISWAP leaders, including Abu Ayuba, Abu Khalid, and Ameer Sarki.
He is believed to have orchestrated numerous deadly attacks in Borno and Yobe states, notably in Wajiroko, Sabon Gari, and Damboa.
Military intelligence has described his death as a major operational setback for ISWAP, potentially disrupting the chain of command in the faction’s operations in southern Borno.
Meanwhile, Abou Dawuda, another senior commander, was also neutralized in the offensive, though details surrounding his role and death remain classified for security reasons.
Despite the successful mission, security agencies remain concerned about regrouping efforts by ISWAP cells across the northeast.
Intelligence reports indicate that key insurgents such as Modu Sullum and Abdul Kaka are consolidating forces near the Gaidam axis.
Other dangerous elements, including: Abu Hafsat, reported active in Mangusum
Suleimana Suwurti, a specialist bomb-maker in Gorgore
Multiple commanders bearing the titles Ameer Fiya and Ameer Jaish, including a figure known as Huzaifa, are believed to be working toward reorganizing disrupted terrorist networks in the region.
The Nigerian military, working in tandem with intelligence services and local security outfits, has reportedly placed strategic locations including the Lake Chad Basin, Sambisa Forest, and border corridors under heightened surveillance and tactical watch.
“We remain committed to dismantling all terrorist infrastructure in the region. The recent success is a testament to improved coordination, precision intelligence, and combat readiness,” a senior military official told journalists.
The operation reflects a broader shift in the military’s counter-terrorism strategy, focusing on preemptive strikes and leadership decapitation, a tactic increasingly used to destabilize terrorist command structures and reduce operational momentum.
Source – naijapunch
(vitalnewsngr.com)
