Airstrikes by the air component of Operation Hadin Kai have reportedly killed several insurgents in the Sambisa Forest area of Borno State during a coordinated offensive targeting terrorist enclaves.
According to counter-insurgency publication Zagazola Makama, the operation was launched following credible intelligence on the movement of suspected fighters around the Parisu axis of the forest.
A security source quoted in the report said the mission commenced late Friday, March 20, with an air asset deployed for armed reconnaissance and interdiction.
“Upon arrival overhead, the platform established visual contact with suspected Boko Haram terrorists engaging in active movements within the area,” the source said.
Surveillance reportedly showed the insurgents moving tactically before converging on a concealed structure hidden under dense vegetation.
“The aircrew maintained persistent surveillance and trailed the suspects to the hideout before executing a precision strike on the target,” the source added. “The strike was accurately delivered, resulting in the destruction of the structure and neutralisation of multiple terrorists.”
Further battle damage assessment indicated that surviving fighters fled from nearby hideouts in disarray, prompting a follow-up strike by the air platform.
“The air platform continued tracking the fleeing terrorists and conducted a second strike on another identified hideout,” the source said. “This further degraded their capability, with additional targets destroyed.”
The report noted that the sustained air operations underscore increasing dominance in the airspace and the military’s growing capacity to restrict insurgents’ movements within their strongholds.
Security sources added that the latest strikes form part of ongoing coordinated air and ground offensives aimed at dismantling terrorist networks across Sambisa Forest and surrounding areas.
