The Nigeria Air Force (NAF) said it has killed ‘several terrorists’ in a recent airstrike launched at a known terrorist enclave near Degbewa and Chinene in the Mandara mountains of Borno State.

The NAF disclosed this in a statement, signed by its Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, on Thursday.

The NAF noted that the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai executed the airstrike on July 3, following credible intelligence of a large number of terrorists in the area.

The statement disclosed that “Aerial bombardments carried out by the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai in the early hours of 3 July 2024, near Degbewa and Chinene, 2 known terrorists hideout tucked in the Mandara mountains, have led to the elimination of several terrorists and their structures.

“The air strikes became expedient after several days of aerial surveillance over Chinene and Degbewa which revealed a consistent gathering of large number of terrorists in the area also suspected to be sites for manufacturing of Improvised Explosive Devices and storage area.

“The terrorists were also observed to be loitering within the vicinity, clearly oblivious of what was to befall them, and probably confident that their location was safe and secured from any form of military bombardments.

“The air strikes were thus authorised with the aircraft bombarding the locations in several passes until the majority of the terrorists were eliminated. Others observed fleeing the location were taken out using canons.”

The development comes three days after air components of the NAF launched an airstrike on a group of terrorists hibernating at Dandunu after rustling cattle from communities around the Kuchi-Kapana axis in Munya LGA of Niger State.

The operation led to the interception of nine motorcycles leading the rustled cattle. “In several phases, the motorcycle-riding terrorists were struck by the aircraft, and most of them were eliminated in the process,” NAF said.

Earlier in June, over 80 terrorists hibernating at a hideout location at Gidan Kare Village of Ruwan Godiya Ward in Faskare Local Government Area (LGA) of Katsina State were confirmed eliminated and 45 motorcycles were burnt.

The NAF said the airstrikes became necessary following intelligence that terrorists numbering over 100 were reported burning houses at a settlement about five kilometres away from Gidan Kare Village.