Nigerian Air Force (NAF) airstrikes have destroyed terrorist hideouts in Abirma, neutralising several fighters in a confirmed insurgent enclave along the southern axis of the Lake Chad region in Borno State.
The strikes were launched on Tuesday, March 17, following credible intelligence, surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) that confirmed the presence of terrorist fighters within the settlement, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) spokesperson, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said in a statement on Wednesday.
Ejodame said that subsequent aerial surveillance revealed insurgent movements around concealed structures hidden under dense vegetation – a tactic frequently used to evade military detection.
He said, “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, destroying multiple terrorist structures and disrupting their activities in the area. Preliminary Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) indicates that the strikes significantly degraded the terrorists’ capacity to utilise the location as a staging ground for attacks across the Lake Chad Basin.”
Ejodame said in the early hours of Wednesday, March 18, NAF air assets, in close coordination with Nigerian Army troops, neutralised several terrorists during a failed attack at Malam Fatori in Abadam Local Government Area of Borno State.
He added that the joint response successfully prevented the insurgents from breaching defensive positions, thereby reinforcing ongoing efforts to stabilise the border communities.
“These operations underscore the Nigerian Air Force’s sustained reliance on intelligence-driven precision air power as part of broader joint force efforts to dismantle terrorist networks and support ground operations aimed at restoring lasting peace and normalcy in the North East,” Ejodame said.