The Nigerian Air Force has neutralised more than 40 terrorists in coordinated close air support and air interdiction operations at Azir and Musarram areas of Borno, disrupting planned attacks and bolstering ongoing ground operations.
This was contained in a statement released by the Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, on Sunday in Abuja.
Ejodame said the operations were conducted on January 15 and 16 by the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI, following actionable intelligence and in close coordination with troops in contact.
He said the NAF aircraft, in the early hours of January 16, swiftly responded to a distress report at Azir, where troops were engaged with terrorists withdrawing 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.
