The Nigerian Air Force has killed more than 40 militants and destroyed approximately 10 canoes in a series of airstrikes in Borno State, the military announced late on Sunday.
The operations, which took place on 15 and 16 January in the Musarram and Azir communities, were aimed at groups gathered around Lake Chad. According to the Air Force, intelligence indicated that militants were massing in canoes to launch an attack on Baga town and the fish dam area of the lake.
Air Force spokesperson Ehimen Ejodame said in a statement that "three bombing runs broke up the group, with fleeing gunmen tracked into nearby trees and neutralised." He added that troops and local officials confirmed the airstrikes foiled the planned attack. In a separate operation in Azir on Friday, close-air-support aircraft struck terrorists who had retreated from an earlier clash and were regrouping under trees, killing several.
Borno State remains the epicentre of the 17-year Islamist insurgency in Nigeria's northeast, where fighters from Boko Haram and ISWAP have recently escalated attacks on military convoys and civilians. The Air Force noted that these groups frequently exploit the region's rugged terrain to launch raids on troops and nearby communities.
The strikes come amid broader counter-insurgency efforts. In December 2025, the United States conducted airstrikes against Islamic State militants in northwestern Nigeria, which President Donald Trump described as "powerful and deadly." Nigeria said the US strikes were part of an exchange of intelligence and strategic coordination between the two countries. Residents and security analysts have previously noted that the security crisis affects both Christians, predominant in the south, and Muslims, who are the majority in the north.
