THE Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has intensified its air campaign in the North-East, using precision strikes to dismantle terrorist networks in Sambisa Forest and the Tumbuns around Lake Chad.
Under the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI, the Nigerian Air Force said it carried out heavy attacks that destroyed hideouts, crippled logistics, and neutralised scores of fighters between April 30 and May 1.
In a statement on Friday, the NAF’s Director of Public Relations and Information, Ehimen Ejodame, an air commodore, stated that the NAF used credible intelligence to hit insurgent enclaves.
“NAF aircraft struck decisively at insurgent enclaves, obliterating hideouts, crippling logistics hubs, and neutralising scores of fighters in relentless, coordinated attack runs,” Ejodame said, adding that the offensive followed a major strike on April 27, 2026, targeting the Guduf axis within the Mandara Mountains.
The Air Component executed a coordinated operation that identified multiple terrorist structures and logistics hubs actively supporting insurgent activities within the area. The NAF spokesperson explained further that building on that success, the mission continued in Alafa, within the Sambisa axis, where air assets wiped out confirmed terrorist infrastructure and supply lines.
He said the NAF followed up the operation with a raid on a fortified island in Metele, located in the Tumbuns, after surveillance spotted fighters hiding in trenches.
According to Ejodame, the Intelligence and surveillance exposed a fortified island stronghold with entrenched fighters, storage facilities, and defensive trench systems. “With scores of insurgents confirmed within the target area, NAF aircraft delivered precise and overwhelming firepower, striking and decimating the location.”
The Chief of Air Staff, Sunday Kelvin Aneke, an air marshal, praised the troops and vowed that the military would continue the onslaught until the threat is completely eliminated.
“The Service’s unyielding resolve is to dominate the battlespace, stressing that operations will persist with increased intensity until all terrorist capabilities are dismantled and threats to national security fully neutralised,” Aneke was quoted as saying.
Zainab Abdulrasaq ia a reporter and a fact-checker with The ICIR. She believes that accountable citizenship starts with an accountable government, which is why she highlights injustice and everyday struggles through her reporting, one story at a time. She adores reading and can be reached via zabdulrasaq@icirnigeria.org and @blackbookishgirl on Instagram/Medium