Troops of Operation Hadin Kai killed 48 suspected Islamic State West Africa Province fighters in a two-day period. The operations ran between 29 and 30 October 2026. The troops foiled attacks in Bitta, Borno State, and Buni Yadi, Yobe State. They recovered 42 AK-47 rifles. They recovered five PKT machine guns and four general-purpose machine guns. They recovered a mortar, magazines, video cameras and thousands of rounds of ammunition. One soldier died. Two were slightly injured and treated.
ISWAP split from Boko Haram in 2016 and became the dominant group in the Lake Chad Basin. It attacks military bases and convoys in the northeast. In October 2026 alone, the group mounted multiple coordinated attacks. On 26 October, air and artillery strikes killed 16 fighters in Tunbunma, South Lake Chad. A week later, troops repelled attacks in two states. The pattern reflects the military’s improved intelligence and firepower. It also reflects ISWAP’s willingness to keep testing defences.
The first attack targeted Bitta in Borno. The second hit Buni Yadi in Yobe. Both were repelled. The recovered arsenal is significant. Forty-two AK-47s and five PKT machine guns represent a company’s worth of firepower. The video cameras suggest the fighters intended to film the attack for propaganda. They did not succeed.
The cost was one soldier killed. Two more were injured. The military said morale remains high. The recovery of the weapons denies ISWAP operational capacity. It also provides intelligence. Serial numbers, phones and documents can reveal supply chains. The military will exploit them.
The attack pattern suggests coordination. Two states, two days, similar tactics. ISWAP is not defeated. It is adapting. It strikes where it perceives weakness. The military responded where it had presence. The next attack may come where it does not.
Winners: The military, which demonstrated capacity. Communities in Bitta and Buni Yadi, which were defended. The intelligence network, which gave warning. The soldier’s family, if his death is honoured properly. Losers: The 48 fighters killed. ISWAP, which lost weapons and propaganda material. The soldier who died. His family. The two injured. Civilians in areas ISWAP will target next. The military, if it cannot sustain the tempo.
Bottom Line: Forty-eight fighters killed. Ninety-nine weapons recovered. One soldier dead. The operation was a tactical success. The war continues. ISWAP will regroup. The military must hold the line. And the families of the fallen deserve more than a press statement.