The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has successfully neutralised more than 40 terrorists during a series of coordinated close air support and air interdiction missions conducted in parts of Borno State.
The operations targeted terrorist strongholds in Azir and Musarram communities and were executed by the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI, significantly disrupting planned attacks and bolstering ongoing ground offensives by Nigerian troops.
This development was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by the Director of Public Relations and Information of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame.
According to Ejodame, the precision air operations were carried out on January 15 and 16, following the receipt of credible and actionable intelligence. He noted that the missions were conducted in close coordination with ground forces that were already in active contact with fleeing terrorist elements.
He explained that in the early hours of January 16, NAF aircraft responded swiftly to a distress call from troops engaged with terrorists attempting to escape at Azir. Subsequent aerial reconnaissance revealed the insurgents trying to regroup under nearby tree cover.
“These movements prompted well-coordinated and successive air strikes, which effectively neutralised the threat,” Ejodame said.
He added that post-strike assessments showed no remaining hostile activity in the area. Feedback from ground troops, local authorities, and community sources also confirmed a significant reduction in terrorist presence, leading to a restoration of relative calm in the affected communities.
The NAF spokesperson further revealed that a day earlier, on January 15, air assets carried out a separate but equally successful air interdiction mission at Musarram, located within the Tumbuns general area.
Intelligence reports, he said, indicated that terrorists were gathering on canoes in preparation for coordinated attacks along the Baga and Fish Dam axis.
“Upon arrival at the location, NAF aircraft identified about ten canoes and over 40 suspected terrorists. The targets were engaged in multiple attack runs, throwing the group into disarray,” Ejodame stated.
He added that some of the fleeing terrorists were tracked and neutralised, while others who attempted to regroup at an assembly point were also struck, effectively dismantling the concentration and foiling the planned attacks.
Reacting to the success of the operations, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, reaffirmed the Nigerian Air Force’s unwavering commitment to providing timely and decisive air support to ground troops in the ongoing fight against terrorism.
He noted that the operations underscored the effectiveness of intelligence-driven air power and strong air–ground coordination in denying terrorist groups freedom of movement and operational space.
The Air Chief assured Nigerians that the Armed Forces would continue to sustain pressure on terrorist elements until their capabilities are fully degraded and affected areas stabilised.
According to him, the military remains resolute in fulfilling its mandate to protect lives, restore peace, and secure communities in the North-East and across the country.
