The Nigerian Air Force has neutralised more than 40 terrorists during coordinated close air support and air interdiction operations in Azir and Musarram communities of Borno State.
It also disrupted planned attacks and strengthened ongoing ground offensives against insurgents.
The operations were carried out on January 15 and 16 by the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI, following actionable intelligence and in close coordination with troops engaged on the ground.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by Ehimen Ejodame, Director of Public Relations and Information of the Nigerian Air Force.
According to statement, NAF aircraft were deployed in the early hours of January 16 after receiving a distress call from troops in contact at Azir, where terrorists were withdrawing from the area after engaging ground forces.
It said aerial surveillance conducted during the mission revealed insurgents attempting to regroup under nearby tree cover, adding that the aircraft subsequently carried out precise and successive airstrikes on the identified positions, neutralising several of the terrorists.
NAF said post-strike assessments indicated that the threats in the area had been effectively eliminated.
“Feedback from ground troops, local authorities and community sources confirmed a significant degradation of terrorist presence in the area, leading to a return of relative calm,” it said.
The Force further disclosed that a day earlier, on January 15, air assets executed a successful air interdiction mission at Musarram in the Tumbuns general area.
“The operation followed intelligence reports that terrorists were assembling on canoes in preparation for attacks along the Baga and Fish Dam axis.
“On arrival at the target area, the aircraft sighted about 10 canoes conveying over 40 suspected terrorists.
“The insurgents were engaged in multiple attack passes, throwing them into disarray”, the statement read.
It also said that some fleeing elements were tracked and neutralised, while others who attempted to regroup at a nearby assembly area were also engaged and eliminated.
“These actions effectively dismantled the terrorist concentration and disrupted their planned operations,” it added.
Sunday Aneke, Chief of the Air Staff, reaffirmed the Nigerian Air Force’s commitment to providing timely and decisive air support to ground forces operating in the North-East.
Aneke said the operations underscored the effectiveness of intelligence-led air power and close air–ground coordination in denying terrorists freedom of action and degrading their operational capabilities.
He assured Nigerians that the Armed Forces would sustain pressure on terrorist elements as efforts continue to stabilise affected communities.
Azir and Musarram, both located in Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State, have remained flashpoints of insurgent activity linked to Boko Haram and its splinter faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
The areas have witnessed repeated attacks on military formations and civilian populations.
In November 2025, troops around Wajiroko in the Azir Multe axis were ambushed by terrorists, resulting in the deaths of soldiers and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force.
The incident also involved the killing of a senior military officer who was captured during the attack, highlighting the persistent security challenges in the area.
The latest air operations, according to the NAF, form part of sustained efforts by the Armed Forces of Nigeria to weaken insurgent networks, protect civilian populations and restore lasting peace to the North-East.
