Airstrikes by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Air Component, under joint task force of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), have destroyed terrorist location used for staging attacks across the Lake Chad Basin.
The destruction of the location at Abirma, terrorist hideouts in the southern axis of the Lake Chad region of Borno State, followed a precision air interdiction mission conducted on 17 March 2026.
In a statement, NAF’s spokesman, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said that Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) indicated that the strikes significantly degraded the terrorists’ capacity to utilise the location as a staging ground for attacks across the Lake Chad Basin, describing the area as a confirmed insurgent enclave in the region.
Ejodame said the operation was executed based on credible Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), which confirmed the active presence of terrorist fighters within the settlement.
‘Subsequent aerial observation revealed insurgent movements around concealed structures deliberately hidden under dense vegetation, a tactic frequently employed to evade detection.
‘Following positive target identification and rigorous verification in line with established operational procedures, NAF air assets executed precision strikes on the identified locations.
‘The targets were engaged with precision munitions, resulting in the destruction of multiple terrorist structures and the disruption of their activities in the area’, he said.
In a related development, Ejodame said NAF air assets, in close coordination with Nigerian Army troops, neutralised several terrorists during a foiled infiltration attempt at Malam Fatori in Abadam Local Government Area of Borno State in the early hours of 18 March 2026.
A post on X by Zagazola Makama, a security expert, put the number of terrorists killed in the operation at 61, quoting security sources.
Ejodame said the joint response successfully prevented the insurgents from breaching troops’ defensive positions, thereby reinforcing ongoing efforts to stabilise the border communities.
Commenting, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke pledges versatile, disciplined, lethal Air Force, reassured Nigerians that sustained air operations across multiple theatres remain focused on protecting innocent lives, safeguarding communities, and denying terrorist and criminal elements the freedom to operate anywhere within the country.
Aneke emphasised that the Service remains committed to executing its missions professionally, with strict adherence to rules of engagement and internationally recognised standards in civilian harm mitigation.
