Now Reading: NAF Airstrikes Kill 25 Terrorists in Yobe and Borno
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NAF Airstrikes Kill 25 Terrorists in Yobe and Borno
In the early hours of September 18, under the cover of darkness, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) delivered one of its most decisive blows yet in the fight against insurgency, neutralising more than 25 terrorists in a meticulously coordinated operation over Bula Yobe and the Banki axis of Borno State.
The mission, conducted by the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI (AC OPHD), followed credible intelligence reports from ground troops who had tracked unusual movements of insurgents in the area.
Acting on this intelligence, NAF scrambled a force package made up of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms and precision strike aircraft. What followed was a demonstration of airpower and coordination that military officials say underscores the growing synergy between Nigeria’s air and ground forces.
According to Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, NAF’s Director of Public Relations and Information, ISR teams were the first to make contact, quietly shadowing multiple clusters of fighters moving north of Banki. Real-time intelligence flowed back to ground units and operations command, allowing strike planners to map out the terrorists’ routes and potential assembly points. Once the picture was clear, the strike aircraft were cleared to engage.
Eyewitnesses in nearby communities reported hearing the distant roar of jet engines shortly before a series of explosions lit up the night sky. In three successive precision strikes, NAF aircraft targeted the terrorists’ movement routes and assembly areas, cutting down fighters before they could regroup or attempt to flee.
Post-strike surveillance confirmed the effectiveness of the mission. More than 25 terrorists were neutralised, with no signs of surviving fighters mounting any retaliatory action. Ground forces, who had been positioned defensively to block possible escape routes, reported that the area was secure, with no further threats detected in the immediate aftermath of the operation.
For military analysts, this operation was significant not just for the number of terrorists neutralised but for the level of coordination involved. “This kind of strike shows that intelligence gathering, surveillance, and air-to-ground coordination are becoming more sophisticated,” one security expert said. “The ability to deliver precision strikes at night while maintaining situational awareness for ground troops is a major step forward in denying terrorists freedom of movement.”
Air Commodore Ejodame emphasised this point in his statement, describing the operation as proof of NAF’s commitment to securing the North-East. “The successful mission highlights NAF’s decisive support to ground forces and our resolve to deny terrorists any freedom of action,” he said, pledging that similar operations will continue until the threat is completely dismantled.
This latest action comes just days after Nigerian troops foiled an attempted ambush in the Lake Chad region, killing three top commanders of the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) and eight of their fighters. Among those neutralised were Modu Dogo Munzir of Dogon Chukun and Abu Aisha, Qaid of Tumbun Mota, whose deaths are expected to further destabilise ISWAP’s chain of command.
The combined effect of these operations is likely to put pressure on insurgent groups that have long relied on mobility and surprise to sustain their attacks. With ISR technology now tracking their movements more closely, and with airstrikes targeting them before they can reach civilian populations, the window for terrorists to operate in Yobe and Borno appears to be narrowing.
For residents of the region, the operation is a welcome development, offering some reassurance in an area that has seen years of attacks and displacement. But security experts caution that sustained pressure will be necessary to prevent regrouping or retaliatory strikes.
For now, though, the Nigerian military can point to September 18 as a night when intelligence, coordination, and precision came together to deliver a decisive win in the ongoing fight against terror.
