
The Nigerian Army's Operation Hadin Kai has defended its airstrike on Jilli Village, Gubio Local Government Area of Borno State, following reports of civilian casualties. PUNCH Online had reported that up to 30 people were feared killed after a military airstrike hit a weekly market in Jilli village on Saturday evening, April 11, 2026. The incident, which occurred at the popular Jilli Market, reportedly caused panic among traders and residents. Lt. Col. Sanni Uba, Media Information Officer, Northeast Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, stated on Sunday that the location was a known terrorist enclave and logistics hub, identified as a major movement corridor and convergence point for Islamic State West Africa Province ISWAP terrorists. He explained that the Air Component of Joint Task Force North East Operation HADIN KAI conducted a precision air strike on April 11, 2026, after sustained Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance ISR missions. Uba cited a January 2026 attack where eight soldiers died and others were wounded, and more recent coordinated attacks on April 9 in Ngamdu and Benisheik, supported by the same terrorist logistics network. He said intensified surveillance on April 11, 2026, observed ISWAP gun trucks and motorcycles converging on Jilli, corroborated by human intelligence confirming them as terrorists and collaborators. He emphasized that a rigorous targeting process was undertaken, with target fidelity confirmed by multiple sources and aerial survei
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.