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The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said it has neutralised more than 40 terrorists during coordinated close air support and air interdiction operations in the Azir and Musarram areas of Borno.
The operations were carried out on January 15 and 16, 2026, by the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI, following actionable intelligence and coordination with ground troops, according to a statement released on Sunday in Abuja.
NAF’s spokesperson, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said NAF aircraft responded in the early hours of January 16 to a distress call at Azir, where troops were engaged with terrorists withdrawing from the area. Ejodame said aerial surveillance later detected fighters attempting to regroup under nearby tree cover.
“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 disclosed that a day earlier, on January 15, NAF air assets carried out “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,” Ejodame said.
“Some fleeing elements were trailed and neutralised, while others who regrouped at an assembly area were also engaged, effectively dismantling the terrorist concentration.”
Reacting to the operations, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, said the strikes demonstrated the effectiveness of intelligence-led air operations and close coordination with ground forces.
