By Chimezie Godfrey
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has recorded a major operational victory in the North-East after precision air strikes eliminated over 40 terrorist elements in coordinated missions across Azir and Musarram areas of Borno State, significantly degrading insurgent fighting strength and aborting planned attacks.
The Director of Public Relations and Information, Headquarters Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, disclosed that the decisive outcomes were achieved through intelligence-led Close Air Support and air interdiction operations carried out on 15 and 16 January 2026, in direct support of troops engaged with hostile elements.
Ejodame said the scale of terrorist losses, particularly at Musarram within the Tumbuns general area, marked a critical setback for insurgent networks operating along key waterways and attack corridors. “On arrival at the target area, NAF aircrew sighted approximately 10 canoes and over 40 suspected terrorists,” he stated.
According to him, the terrorists were engaged in three successive, well-coordinated passes, a tactic that left the fighters exposed and unable to mount any effective resistance. “The terrorists were forced into disarray, with fleeing elements trailed to nearby cover and subsequently neutralised,” Ejodame explained.
He added that additional fighters who attempted to regroup at a nearby assembly area were equally acquired and struck using available mission stores, compounding the casualties and ensuring that no organised escape was possible. Feedback from ground forces and local communities later confirmed that the terrorist concentration was effectively dismantled.
The NAF spokesman noted that the destruction of over 40 terrorists was not incidental but the result of deliberate targeting designed to cripple planned attacks on Baga and the Fish Dam axis, areas that have repeatedly been targeted by insurgents. “The operation effectively disrupted their planned attacks before they could be launched,” Ejodame said.
In a related operation at Azir on 16 January, Ejodame said NAF aircraft responded swiftly to troops in contact with terrorists withdrawing from the area. He explained that aircrew identified additional hostile elements attempting to regroup under tree cover and engaged them decisively, further increasing terrorist casualties.
Reacting to the scale of the success, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, described the neutralisation of over 40 terrorists as evidence of the NAF’s growing combat effectiveness. “These operations demonstrate the Nigerian Air Force’s capacity to deliver overwhelming force against terrorist concentrations whenever credible intelligence is available,” Aneke said, as quoted by Ejodame.
The Air Chief stressed that eliminating large numbers of terrorists in a single operational window sends a strong signal to insurgent groups. “By denying them the ability to mass, regroup or move freely, we are systematically eroding their operational capability,” Aneke stated.
He further reassured Nigerians that sustained pressure would continue. “The Nigerian Air Force will maintain relentless air operations to protect our troops and civilians, ensuring that terrorist elements suffer heavy losses wherever they attempt to operate,” Aneke added.
Ejodame emphasised that the successful neutralisation of over 40 terrorists underscores the effectiveness of integrated air–ground collaboration under Operation HADIN KAI, and reflects the Armed Forces of Nigeria’s determination to weaken terrorist networks through precision, speed and sustained dominance of the airspace.