The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has intensified its counter-terrorism and counter-banditry operations with a series of coordinated precision airstrikes that eliminated numerous Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters in the Mallam Fatori and Shuwaram areas of Borno State.
The air raids, conducted on November 9, 2025, also targeted bandit enclaves in Garin Dandi and Chigogo in Kwara State, as well as Zango Hill in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State, destroying hideouts, logistics bases, and weapons depots.
According to NAF, the missions form part of ongoing joint military operations under Operation Hadin Kai and Operation Fasan Yamma, aimed at neutralising terrorist networks and curbing criminal activity across northern Nigeria.
In Borno State, real-time Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) feeds guided precision strikes on ISWAP formations entrenched in the Northern Tumbuns. Air assets hit multiple targets south-east of Shuwaram before moving to Mallam Fatori, where insurgents were observed mobilising motorcycles and boats along the Lake Chad Basin.
The strikes reportedly destroyed ISWAP hideouts and logistics hubs, killing several terrorists and disrupting their movement and communication capabilities. Post-operation assessments confirmed significant damage to the group’s operational infrastructure.
In Kwara State, NAF aircraft conducted targeted attacks on identified bandit camps at Garin Dandi and Chigogo, inflicting heavy casualties and causing panic among the criminals. Similarly, in Katsina State, precision strikes on Zango Hill—a known hideout of a terrorist kingpin—neutralised several insurgents and destroyed key supply facilities.
Air assets under Operation Fasan Yamma (Sector 1) also carried out armed reconnaissance missions across the North-West corridor, covering parts of Zamfara, Kebbi, and Kaduna States, including Kakihum, Dankolo, Kotonkoro, and Kuyello, all known routes for armed groups operating along the Birnin Gwari–Funtua axis.
During one of the missions, surveillance teams detected movement near Wam Hill, where terrorists on motorcycles were attempting to escape. The air crew swiftly engaged and neutralised the targets, with subsequent sweeps confirming no further hostile presence.
NAF said the operations reflect its renewed operational momentum under the leadership of the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, who has directed sustained, intelligence-driven missions designed to maximise precision and lethality against insurgents while protecting civilian lives and property.
The success of these coordinated air operations underscores the military’s strengthened capacity to disrupt terrorist supply chains, weaken their territorial presence, and enhance national security across Nigeria’s northern regions.
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