MAIDUGURI, Nigeria — The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has successfully neutralized an unspecified number of terrorists and destroyed their enclave in Borno State, in a major operation that significantly degraded the operational capabilities of the insurgents, military sources have confirmed.
The airstrikes, conducted by NAF fighter jets, targeted a known terrorist hideout in the Tumbuns area near Lake Chad, a region that has become a stronghold for factions of Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). Intelligence reports had indicated that the location was being used as a logistics hub and staging ground for planned attacks against military formations and civilian communities.
According to military sources who spoke on condition of anonymity, the air interdiction operation was executed with precision, striking the target and eliminating several terrorists. The airstrikes also destroyed the enclave, including structures used as meeting points, ammunition storage, and living quarters for the insurgents.
The operation, which was conducted in the early hours of Saturday, is part of the ongoing offensive operations under Operation HADIN KAI, the military’s counter-terrorism campaign in the North-East region. The NAF has intensified its air operations in recent weeks, targeting terrorist enclaves and supply routes in the Lake Chad basin and the Sambisa Forest.
The military has not released an official statement detailing the full scope of the operation, including the number of terrorists neutralized. However, sources confirmed that no civilian casualties or collateral damage were recorded, as the targets were carefully selected based on persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions conducted in the days leading up to the strikes.
This latest success follows a series of coordinated operations by the military aimed at degrading the capabilities of terrorist groups operating in the North-East. On Friday, troops of Operation HADIN KAI foiled multiple coordinated infiltration attempts by suspected ISWAP terrorists in Borno State, forcing the insurgents to retreat after fierce engagements across several locations near Maiduguri.
The Acting Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI, Captain Muhammad Goni, had earlier confirmed that troops successfully thwarted infiltration attempts at Muna Garage, Shuwari Village, and the Ajilari Cross axis, forcing the terrorists to abandon their mission and retreat in confusion.
The military has reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining aggressive offensive operations against terrorist groups across the North-East and urged members of the public to remain vigilant and continue providing timely and credible information to support ongoing counter-terrorism efforts.
As the military continues its clearance operations, residents of Borno State remain cautiously optimistic that the recent successes signal a turning point in the long-running counter-insurgency campaign. For now, the message from the military is clear: terrorist hideouts will remain priority targets, and there will be no safe haven for those who threaten the peace and security of Nigeria.
