NAF Airstrikes smash Terrorist stronghold in Katsina, kill fighters

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has unleashed a precision airstrike on a terrorist enclave in Katsina State, destroying a key hideout and killing several fighters in a major offensive aimed at crippling insurgent operations in the North-West.

The strike, carried out on May 1 under the Air Component of Operation Fansan Yamma, targeted a notorious logistics base deep within the Dan-Aji Forest in Faskari Local Government Area.

According to NAF spokesperson, Ehimen Ejodame, the location served as a strategic hub for a terrorist leader identified as Abasu Aiki, whose network operates across Faskari, Kankara and Funtua axes.

“NAF air assets identified armed terrorists on motorcycles alongside other fighters within the enclave and executed a coordinated strike on the location,” Ejodame said.

He disclosed that battle damage assessments confirmed that several fighters were neutralised, while the logistics hub and its supporting structures were completely destroyed.

The strike reportedly triggered massive explosions and raging fires, further weakening the operational capacity of the group and cutting off vital supply lines.

Military sources say the bombardment has significantly disrupted terrorist movement and resupply routes in the area, dealing a heavy blow to ongoing activities within the forest corridor.

The operation followed fresh intelligence indicating renewed terrorist mobilisation in the region, prompting swift aerial intervention.

The Air Force said the mission underscores its resolve to deny armed groups safe havens and dismantle their operational networks, as security forces intensify pressure on insurgents across northern Nigeria.