Nigerian Air Force intensifies airstrikes in North-East, North-West, kills many terrorists

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has intensified its aerial offensive against terrorist groups in the North-East and North-West, killing many fighters and crippling their logistics and movement networks through coordinated, intelligence-led airstrikes conducted between 1 and 2 January 2026.

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The operations, carried out under the joint task forces of Operation HADIN KAI in the North-East and Operation FASAN YAMMA Sector 2 in the North-West, targeted identified terrorist hideouts, movement routes and assembly points across key threat corridors, the NAF said on Friday.

According to a statement by Ehimen Ejodame, the Nigerian Air Force’s Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF the sustained air interdiction campaign was based on actionable intelligence relating to terrorist intent, movements and supply chains, with the aim of denying armed groups freedom of movement, operational depth and safe havens within Nigeria’s territory.

In the North-East theatre, NAF air assets delivered successive precision strikes on deeply concealed enclaves at Abirma and Chiralia within the notorious Timbuktu Triangle. Persistent surveillance had confirmed that the locations housed active facilities linked to the production of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and attack planning.

The strikes resulted in the destruction of targeted structures, with multiple secondary explosions observed, an indication, the Air Force said, of the elimination of explosive stockpiles and critical logistics.

Follow-on interdiction missions were also executed at Guva in the Mandara Mountains, dismantling what the NAF described as terrorist storage and coordination nodes, and significantly degrading the groups’ capacity to regroup or launch attacks during and after the festive period.

Simultaneously, the campaign was extended to the North-West, where NAF aircraft conducted a decisive interdiction mission around Karaduwa Giginya Na in Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State. Terrorist elements were tracked moving in large motorcycle convoys and were engaged at a forested convergence point.

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Post-strike assessments, supported by local feedback, confirmed the neutralisation of several terrorists, the destruction of multiple motorcycles and the elimination of assorted weapons, the NAF said.

READ ALSO: Nigerian Air Force silent 48 hours after bombing many civilians in Borno

The Air Force noted that the multi-theatre strikes underscored its rapid-response capability, sustained airpower presence and determination to systematically dismantle terrorist networks threatening national security.

Reaffirming its commitment to ongoing operations, the NAF assured Nigerians that the air campaign would continue with “precision, persistence and professionalism” in support of ground forces.

The Air Force pledged to maintain a focus on civilian protection while applying decisive force against terrorist elements, as part of broader efforts to restore lasting peace and stability across affected regions.