The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says it has neutralised over 40 terrorists during coordinated close air support and air interdiction operations in Azir and Musarram areas of Borno.
This is contained in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by the Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame.
Ejodame said the operations were carried out on Jan. 15 and 16 by the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI, following actionable intelligence and in close coordination with ground troops.
According to him, NAF aircraft, in the early hours of Jan. 16, swiftly responded to a distress call at Azir where troops were engaged with terrorists withdrawing from the area.
He said further aerial scans revealed terrorist elements attempting to regroup under nearby tree cover, prompting precise and successive air strikes that neutralised several of them.
“Post-strike assessment confirmed no further threats, while feedback from ground troops, local authorities and community sources indicated a significant degradation of terrorist presence and a return of relative calm,” Ejodame said.
He added that earlier, on Jan. 15, NAF air assets conducted a successful air interdiction at Musarram in the Tumbuns general area after intelligence revealed terrorists assembling on canoes to launch attacks along the Baga and Fish Dam axis.
“On arrival, the aircraft sighted about 10 canoes and over 40 suspected terrorists, who were engaged in multiple passes, throwing them into disarray.
“Some fleeing elements were trailed and neutralised, while others who regrouped at an assembly area were also engaged, effectively dismantling the terrorist concentration,” he said.
Reacting to the development, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, reaffirmed the NAF’s commitment to providing timely and decisive air support to ground forces.
Aneke said the operations underscored the effectiveness of intelligence-led air power and close air–ground coordination in denying terrorists freedom of action.