By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The Nigerian Air Force has neutralised more than 40 terrorists during coordinated airstrikes carried out in Azir and Musarram communities of Borno State, following intelligence reports of imminent attacks and ongoing engagements with ground troops.
The operations, conducted on Thursday, 15 and Friday16, January, 2026, were executed by the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI as part of sustained efforts to disrupt terrorist plans and reinforce ongoing ground offensives.
According to the Nigerian Air Force, the missions combined close air support and air interdiction following actionable intelligence.
In a statement issued on Sunday, 18 January, 2026, in Abuja, the Director of Public Relations and Information of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, explained that the airstrikes were carried out in close coordination with troops already in contact with terrorist elements.
Specifically, Ejodame said that in the early hours of January 16, NAF aircraft responded swiftly to a distress call from ground forces in Azir, where troops were engaged with terrorists attempting to withdraw from the area.
Subsequently, aerial surveillance revealed that the fleeing insurgents were attempting to regroup under nearby tree cover.
As a result, the aircraft conducted precise and successive airstrikes, neutralising several of the terrorists.
Following the engagement, Ejodame noted that post-strike assessments confirmed the absence of further threats.
Additionally, feedback from ground troops, local authorities and community sources indicated a significant degradation of terrorist presence and a return of relative calm in the area.
Earlier, on January 15, NAF air assets carried out a separate air interdiction mission at Musarram in the Tumbuns general area after intelligence reports revealed that terrorists were assembling on canoes to launch attacks along the Baga and Fish Dam axis.
Upon arrival at the location, the aircraft sighted about 10 canoes conveying over 40 suspected terrorists. Consequently, the targets were engaged in multiple passes, throwing the insurgents into disarray.
According to Ejodame, some fleeing elements were trailed and neutralised, while others who attempted to regroup at an assembly point were also struck, thereby dismantling the terrorist concentration in the area.
Reacting to the successful operations, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, reaffirmed the Nigerian Air Force’s commitment to providing timely and decisive air support to ground forces.
He stated that the strikes demonstrated the effectiveness of intelligence-led air power and close air–ground coordination in denying terrorists freedom of action.
Furthermore, Aneke assured Nigerians that sustained pressure would continue to be mounted on terrorist elements as the Armed Forces of Nigeria intensify efforts to degrade their capabilities and stabilise affected communities.
Azir and Musarram, both located in Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State, have remained hotspots of persistent insecurity due to the activities of Boko Haram and its splinter faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province.
Previously, in November 2025, troops deployed around Wajiroko in Azir Multe were ambushed by insurgents, resulting in the killing of soldiers and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force, as well as the execution of a captured Brigadier General, Musa Uba.
