By Gabriel Ameh
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has neutralised no fewer than 40 terrorists during coordinated airstrikes conducted in Azir and Musarram areas of Borno State, successfully foiling planned attacks on civilian communities.
The precision operations, carried out on January 15 and 16, were executed by NAF aircraft operating under the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai, following credible intelligence indicating imminent terrorist attacks in the area.
According to the NAF, the first strike occurred in the early hours of January 16 at Azir, where ground troops were engaged in combat with fleeing terrorists. Responding to a real-time situation report, NAF air assets arrived overhead and identified hostile elements attempting to regroup under tree cover. The aircraft engaged the targets in successive passes, resulting in the neutralisation of several terrorists. Post-strike assessment confirmed that no residual threats remained in the location.
A day earlier, on January 15, NAF aircraft conducted a successful air interdiction mission at Musarram in the Tumbuns general area, following intelligence that terrorists were assembling in canoes to launch coordinated attacks along the Baga and Fish Dam axis. Aircrew observed about 10 canoes conveying over 40 suspected terrorists at the site.
The terrorists were engaged in three successive passes, throwing them into disarray. Fleeing elements were tracked to nearby tree cover and neutralised, while others who regrouped at an assembly point were also engaged and eliminated using available mission stores.
Subsequent reports from ground troops and local community sources confirmed that the airstrikes dismantled the terrorist concentration and effectively disrupted the planned attacks on civilians.
Reacting to the operations, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, said the strikes underscored the Nigerian Air Force’s readiness to respond decisively whenever troops were in contact and civilian lives were threatened.
“These operations demonstrate the Nigerian Air Force’s capacity to act swiftly on actionable intelligence and work seamlessly with ground forces to deny terrorists freedom of action,” Aneke said.
He reassured Nigerians of the NAF’s continued commitment to protecting both troops and civilians, stressing that sustained pressure would be maintained on terrorist groups until lasting peace and security are restored in affected areas.
The latest operations further highlight the Armed Forces of Nigeria’s reliance on integrated air–ground cooperation to degrade terrorist capabilities and stabilise communities across the North-East.
