On 31 October 2026, Nigerian troops announced they had killed 48 suspected members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) after repelling two attacks on military posts in Borno and Yobe states.
Xinhua reported that the joint task force for Operation Hadin Kai, supported by air assets, countered assaults in Bitta, a community in Borno’s Gwoza Local Government Area, and in Buni Yadi, Yobe State. The attacks began late Thursday night and continued into the early hours of Friday, but were beaten back by Nigerian forces.
During the counter‑offensive in Buni Yadi, one Nigerian soldier was killed and two others were wounded. The troops also seized 52 firearms from the ISWAP fighters.
Punch Newspapers published a similar story, stating that Nigerian Army troops killed 48 Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists while repelling coordinated attacks in Bitta, Borno State, and Buni Yadi, Yobe State.
The Nigerian military said it would continue operations intended to degrade the operational capabilities of terrorist groups and weaken their ability to recruit, spread propaganda and coordinate attacks. ISWAP has been collaborating with Boko Haram and has carried out attacks in the Lake Chad Basin.
