The airstrikes rained by troops of the Nigerian Air Force attached with Operation Hadin Kai at Rann, a community notorious for terrorists hideouts in Borno State, have killed scores of insurgents.
It was learnt that the terrorists were killed while fleeing their enclaves in the community upon sighting the military fighter jets after their mission to attack a military base failed.
Locals, who spoke to Daily Trust, explained that the military operation, which was carried out in the early hours of Friday, sent a panic wave to the communities located close to area of the operation.
One of the locals, said the terrorists were planning to ambush and possibly kill the soldiers on ground in Rann before their colleagues joined forces with them.
He said, “We thought the terrorists wanted to attack our communities when we heard loud sound of certain equipment like gunshots.
“It was later we realised that it was the military forces that were doing their work. Many terrorists were wasted by the soldiers.”
Confirming the operation via a statement, the spokesman of the NAF, Ehimen Ejodame, said they had to use airstrikes on the fleeing terrorists because they were out for their dastardly act.
Ejodame, an Air Commodore, said they acted upon credible intelligence after the ground forces were contacted and identified clusters of fleeing insurgents and engaged them with precision munitions.
According to him, several terrorists were neutralised in the process, and calm was immediately restored back to the area after the terrorists had first sent shocking waves in the general area of Rann.
He said, “In the early hours of 8 August 2025, the Nigerian Air Force under Operation Hadin Kai successfully foiled a terrorist assault on troops in Rann, Borno State, through coordinated Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and Air Interdiction (AI) missions.
“Acting on credible intelligence, the OPHK Air Component established contact with ground forces, identified clusters of fleeing insurgents, and engaged them with precision munitions, neutralising several in the process.
“The swift and decisive action restored calm to the area, underscoring the NAF’s unwavering commitment to providing close air support, safeguarding troops, and rapidly neutralising insurgent threats.”
