The Nigerian Air Force said its airstrikes have killed more than 40 suspected terrorists during coordinated operations in parts of northeastern Nigeria’s Borno State.
The strikes were carried out Jan. 15 and 16 in the Azir and Musarram areas as part of close air support and air interdiction missions by the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai, the NAF said in a statement Sunday.
NAF spokesman Ehimen Ejodame said the operations followed actionable intelligence and were conducted in close coordination with ground troops engaged with the militants.
According to the statement, aircraft early Jan. 16 responded to a distress call from troops in contact with withdrawing terrorists in Azir. Further surveillance identified fighters attempting to regroup under tree cover, prompting successive airstrikes.
Post-strike assessments and feedback from ground troops, local authorities and community sources indicated a significant reduction in militant activity and a return of relative calm in the area, the NAF said.
A day earlier, NAF air assets carried out an air interdiction mission at Musarram in the Tumbuns general area after intelligence revealed terrorists assembling in canoes to launch attacks along the Baga and Fish Dam axis, Ejodame said. The aircraft sighted about 10 canoes and more than 40 suspected fighters, who were engaged in multiple attack runs.
“Some fleeing elements were trailed and neutralised, while others who regrouped at an assembly area were also engaged, effectively dismantling the terrorist concentration,” the statement said.
Reacting to the operations, Chief of the Air Staff Sunday Aneke said the strikes underscored the effectiveness of intelligence-led air power and close air-ground coordination. He pledged sustained pressure on militant groups as Nigerian forces continue efforts to stabilise affected communities.
Azir and Musarram, located in Damboa local government area of Borno, have long been hotspots of violence linked to the activities of Boko Haram and its splinter faction, Islamic State West African Province In November 2025, troops in the area were ambushed, killing soldiers and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force, including the execution of a captured senior army officer.
