Military Airstrikes Kill Multiple Terrorists in Niger Forest

Numerous suspected terrorists who were hibernating at Alawa Forest in the Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State were killed by Nigerian Air Force aerial attacks, the service announced on Thursday.

According to the statement, the air component of Operation FANSAN YAMMA, a military assault designed to drive terrorists from the country’s northwest and north central areas, carried out the airstrikes.

Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Olusola Akinboyewa, Director of Information and Public Relations (DOPRI), claimed in a statement that the mission also destroyed the terrorists’ forest logistical hub.

Based on reliable intelligence and subsequent confirmatory aerial surveillance efforts that showed an influx of armed terrorists into the forest, this action was carried out on January 21, 2025.

These offenders were connected to several acts of violence, such as two IED attacks that killed multiple innocent people in Bassa, Shiroro LGA, on December 19, 2024.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) responded by conducting a three-day airstrike under the code name KONAN DAJI in an effort to weaken the militants’ capabilities and make the forest uninhabitable.

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In order to achieve this, AC OPFY sent out a group of fighter planes to conduct air interdiction operations in the region. As evidenced by several secondary explosions, the planes quickly targeted the targets with accurate strikes after arriving, eliminating their supplies hub and several armed fighters.

“The NAF is steadfast in its resolve to uphold operational supremacy throughout the region, working closely with ground forces. In order to provide people in Niger State and beyond with long-term peace and security, persistent efforts are being made to eradicate all criminal elements from Alawa Forest and the adjacent areas,” he stated.