The Nigerian Air Force has eliminated over 40 terrorists during coordinated close air support and air interdiction missions carried out in the Azir and Musarram areas of Borno State, thereby foiling planned attacks and strengthening ongoing ground operations.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by the Director of Public Relations and Information of the NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame.
According to Ejodame, the operations took place on January 15 and 16 and were executed by the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI, based on credible intelligence and in close collaboration with troops on the ground.
He explained that in the early hours of January 16, NAF aircraft promptly responded to a distress call from Azir, where troops were confronting terrorists who were retreating from the area.
According to him, further scans revealed terrorist elements attempting to regroup under nearby tree cover, prompting precise and successive airstrikes 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.
“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.
“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, 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 demonstrated the effectiveness of intelligence-led air power and close air–ground coordination in denying terrorists freedom of action.
He assured Nigerians of sustained pressure on terrorist elements as the Armed Forces of Nigeria continue efforts to degrade their capabilities and stabilise affected areas.
Azir and Musarram, located in Damboa Local Government Area of Borno, have long been hotspots of persistent insecurity stemming from the operations of Boko Haram and its splinter group, ISWAP.
Troops around Wajiroko in Azir Multe were ambushed in November 2025, killing soldiers and Civilian Joint Task Force members, including the execution of a captured Brigadier General Musa Uba.
