Troops under the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation Hadin Kai say they have killed a senior Boko Haram leader described as the group’s second-in-command in the Sambisa Forest, along with 10 other fighters.
The military said the operation took place in Komala, in Konduga Local Government Area, during a night offensive at about 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, 31 January 2026. Borno is a state in north east Nigeria that has been at the centre of a long-running insurgency.
In a statement issued on Sunday, 1 February 2026, the military spokesperson for the operation, Sanni Uba, said the troops identified the slain leader as Abu Khalid. Okay News reports that the military described him as a key figure responsible for coordinating operations and logistics for Boko Haram in the Sambisa area.
The statement also said the troops recovered weapons and supplies after the encounter, including five AK-47 rifles, magazines, bicycles, food items and medical supplies.
The military added that the latest operation came less than 24 hours after troops said they killed a commander linked to both Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), identified as Julaibib, in fighting around the Gujba axis of the Timbuktu Triangle. The military said that earlier clash happened on Friday, 30 January 2026, around Kimba in Damboa Local Government Area.
It also said troops working with the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), a local volunteer force that supports security operations, killed three more fighters during an ambush between Ngazalgana and Lamusheri communities.
According to the military, no soldiers were killed in the Saturday night operation. It said clearance operations are continuing in the Sambisa Forest as well as other areas described as insurgent hideouts, including the Mandara Mountains.
The military leadership said it remains committed to sustaining operations until armed groups are cleared from the region, and it urged troops to maintain the pace of the campaign.
