The Nigerian Air Force has confirmed that its latest precision air interdiction has eliminated a major terrorist base located within the Sauri camp in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, a region in North West Nigeria that has faced years of violent attacks by armed groups.
Okay News reports that the operation was carried out by the Air Component of Operation FANSAN YAMMA, a joint security initiative established to counter armed criminal groups operating across the North West. The mission took place on November 14, 2025, following drone-led reconnaissance and intelligence assessments.
According to a statement issued by the Director of Public Relations and Information of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the intervention was launched only after “comprehensive intelligence and surveillance operations” showed that the terrorists were harbouring stolen livestock and using a high-ground position as both a logistics centre and a fortified defence zone.
Ejodame explained that pilots “executed multiple coordinated strike passes on the identified targets, achieving direct hits that dislodged surviving terrorists attempting to flee into surrounding vegetation, where they were subsequently tracked and effectively engaged.”
He added that the mission resulted in the destruction of infrastructure essential to the criminal network. “The successful mission resulted in the neutralisation of numerous terrorists and the destruction of critical structures and logistics points, significantly degrading the criminals’ operational capability in the area,” his statement read.
The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, reaffirmed that the Nigerian Air Force will sustain pressure on all violent groups threatening security in the country, stating that the Force would “find them, hunt them down, and protect our people.”
The success of this latest mission further strengthens the momentum of Operation FANSAN YAMMA, which continues to target criminal hideouts across Zamfara State while supporting broader national efforts aimed at restoring peace across the North West region.
The Nigerian Air Force also referenced an earlier raid on November 10, where similar airstrikes were conducted on terrorist and bandit hideouts in Kwara State, Borno State, Katsina State, and several other northern regions of Nigeria.
