The Nigerian Air Force, the aerial warfare branch of Nigeria’s Armed Forces, has announced a fresh operational success against terrorist elements operating in northeastern Nigeria following a coordinated air interdiction mission in Borno State, a region that has remained at the center of the country’s long-running insurgency.
Okay News reports that the operation was carried out at Abbaga Jiri, a location within the Timbuktu Triangle, a remote and heavily contested zone in Borno State, northeastern Nigeria, known for serving as a sanctuary for terrorist groups linked to prolonged violence in the Lake Chad Basin region.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Director of Public Relations and Information at the Headquarters of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, explained that the air strikes were executed under the joint military campaign known as Operation HADIN KAI, Nigeria’s principal counterterrorism operation in the North East.
According to Ejodame, the mission was initiated after multi-source intelligence confirmed the presence of active terrorist elements, fortified structures, and concealed logistics facilities within the targeted area. He stated that the intelligence assessment provided sufficient clarity for the deployment of air assets in both surveillance and precision strike roles.
“The operation was deliberately designed to degrade terrorist capability, deny sanctuary, and shape the battlespace for ground forces, in strict adherence to established rules of engagement and the protection of non-combatants,” the statement said.
Further details revealed that Nigerian Air Force platforms conducted integrated reconnaissance before engaging identified targets with precision-guided strikes, resulting in the destruction of terrorist structures and disruption of enemy logistics chains.
Reacting to the success of the mission, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, emphasized the strategic importance of air power in supporting ground operations across conflict zones in Nigeria. He described the operation as evidence of the military’s resolve to sustain pressure on terrorist networks.
“This mission demonstrates our unwavering commitment to delivering precise and decisive air power in support of ground forces. We will continue to deny terrorists freedom of movement, sanctuary, and logistics wherever they seek to hide,” Aneke said.
He further disclosed that follow-up engagements were conducted after armed terrorists were observed converging on the location, leading to their neutralization and further weakening of the group’s operational capacity.
Subsequent advances by Nigerian Army ground troops into the area later confirmed the effectiveness of the air strikes, validating what military authorities described as a successful joint air and land operation.
Reaffirming the operational posture of the Nigerian Air Force, the Air Chief stated, “Our operations are carefully planned and intelligence-led, ensuring maximum effect on hostile elements while safeguarding innocent civilians. The Nigerian Air Force will sustain pressure until terrorist networks are completely dismantled.”
The latest operation follows a similar air campaign conducted in December 2025, when Nigerian Air Force aircraft carried out precision air strikes on bandit positions in Tsafe Local Government Area, Zamfara State, northwestern Nigeria. That mission, executed under the Air Component of Operation Fansan Yamma, Sector Two, targeted Turba Hill and a camp linked to a bandit leader identified as Kachalla Dogo Sule, based on what military authorties described as credible, multi-source intelligence.
