NAF airstrikes destroy terrorist bases in North-East

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has intensified its aerial offensive against insurgents in the North-East, carrying out a series of precision strikes on terrorist strongholds in Sambisa and the Tumbuns.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Director of Public Relations and Information, Ehimen Ejodame, said the operations were conducted under the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai.

He explained that the air campaign targeted insurgent enclaves using credible intelligence, leading to the destruction of hideouts, logistics hubs, and the neutralisation of several fighters.

According to him, on April 30, NAF aircraft carried out a major air interdiction mission at Alafa in the Sambisa axis, where terrorist infrastructure and supply nodes were struck and destroyed in successive bombardments.

Ejodame added that the operation continued on May 1 with another coordinated strike on Metele in the Tumbuns, following intelligence that revealed a fortified island base with entrenched fighters, storage facilities, and defensive trench systems.

“Air assets delivered precise and overwhelming firepower, decimating the target and neutralising scores of insurgents,” he said.

He noted that the sustained operations reflect a deliberate strategy to maintain pressure on terrorist groups, preventing them from regrouping or launching attacks.

The statement also quoted the Chief of the Air Staff, Hassan Abubakar, as reaffirming the military’s commitment to intensifying operations until all threats are eliminated and national security fully secured.

The latest strikes come days after a similar coordinated air operation on April 27, which targeted terrorist positions in Guduf, located in the Mandara Mountains along Nigeria’s border with Cameroon, based on intelligence and surveillance reports.