Residents and security forces in Nigeria's northeast are celebrating a significant victory after the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) eliminated more than 40 terrorists in a series of precise airstrikes in Borno State. The successful operations, which took place on January 15 and 16, 2026, effectively disrupted planned attacks by the militants.
Coordinated Strikes Based on Actionable Intelligence
The air component of Operation HADIN KAI executed the missions following credible and actionable intelligence reports. According to a statement issued on Sunday, January 18, 2026, by the Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the operations involved close coordination with ground troops.
Ejodame revealed that the airstrikes targeted terrorist elements in the Azir and Musarram areas of Borno State. The initial strike on January 15 was an air interdiction mission in the Tumbuns general area, specifically at Musarram. Intelligence had indicated that terrorists were assembling on canoes with the intent to launch attacks along the Baga and Fish Dam axis.
Neutralizing Terrorist Regrouping Attempts
Upon arrival at the scene, NAF aircraft sighted approximately 10 canoes and over 40 suspected terrorists. The aircraft engaged the targets in multiple passes, throwing the militant group into disarray. The NAF spokesperson provided further details on the operation's effectiveness.
"Some fleeing elements were trailed and neutralised, while others who regrouped at an assembly area were also engaged, effectively dismantling the terrorist concentration," Ejodame stated. Subsequent scans of the area revealed attempts by other terrorist elements to regroup under tree cover, and they were also successfully engaged and neutralized by successive airstrikes.
A Broader Pattern of Successful Counter-Terrorism Ops
This successful operation is part of a continued offensive against terrorism in the region. It follows recent reports of the Air Component killing no fewer than 23 bandits who were fleeing from Kano State into Katsina State under Operation FANSAN YAMMA.
Furthermore, troops of the Nigerian Army under Operation HADIN KAI have also recorded recent successes. They decisively dealt with Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists during a well-executed ambush in the Sojiri and Kayamla communities of Borno State, killing scores of fighters and disrupting a major logistics movement.
The latest airstrikes in Azir and Musarram demonstrate the heightened synergy between air and ground forces, as well as the critical role of timely intelligence in preempting terrorist activities and safeguarding vulnerable communities in Nigeria's northeast.
