The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has killed several members of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) and destroyed multiple bandit hideouts in a series of coordinated air raids across Borno, Katsina, and Kwara States, marking a renewed offensive against terrorism and violent criminal networks in the country’s northern region.
According to a statement issued by the Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the airstrikes—carried out on November 9, 2025—were part of intensified joint operations under Operation HADIN KAI in the North-East and Operation FANSAN YAMMA in the North-West.
The statement revealed that in Borno State, precision air interdictions were executed in the Northern Tumbuns, particularly around Shuwaram and Mallam Fatori, targeting ISWAP cells and logistics bases. “Guided by real-time Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) feeds, NAF air assets conducted precision strikes southeast of Shuwaram before shifting to Mallam Fatori, where ISWAP elements were observed mobilising with motorcycles and boats along the Lake Chad Basin,” Ejodame said.
He added that the strikes destroyed insurgent hideouts, logistics hubs, and weapons storage facilities, neutralising several terrorists and crippling their mobility. Post-strike assessments, according to NAF, confirmed multiple fatalities and a significant degradation of ISWAP’s operational capacity in the region.
In the North-West, NAF aircraft also struck bandit enclaves in Zango Hill, Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State, where armed groups had been launching attacks on nearby farming communities. The air raids reportedly neutralised several criminals and set ablaze their makeshift camps.
Similarly, bandit hideouts in Garin Dandi and Chigogo, Kwara State, were bombarded in what the military described as “coordinated precision missions” to dismantle emerging criminal sanctuaries in the North-Central corridor.
Ejodame said the operations underscore the Air Force’s renewed commitment to supporting joint security forces in restoring peace and security across the country.
“These coordinated missions represent a decisive phase in our nationwide counterterrorism and counter-banditry efforts. The Nigerian Air Force, working closely with other security agencies, remains resolute in sustaining these operations until every terrorist, bandit, and criminal element is neutralised,” the statement concluded.
The latest strikes come amid heightened military activity across Nigeria’s northern belt, following renewed attacks by ISWAP factions and bandit groups in recent weeks. Security experts say the ongoing air operations signal a strategic shift by the armed forces toward intelligence-led precision warfare, aimed at cutting off terrorist logistics and mobility rather than engaging in prolonged ground battles.
Meanwhile, residents in affected communities have expressed cautious optimism, urging the military to sustain the tempo and complement air raids with ground patrols to prevent the regrouping of fleeing insurgents.