NAF Pounds Terror Networks, Neutralises 2,351 Terrorists In Relentless 2025 Air Campaign
At a time when asymmetric threats continue to test Nigeria’s internal security, air power has once again emerged as a decisive force in shifting the balance against terrorism and organised crime.
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says it neutralised no fewer than 2,351 terrorists in 2025, following a sustained campaign of 274 intelligence-driven air interdiction missions conducted across multiple theatres of operation nationwide.
The missions, flown in 379 combat sorties, targeted terrorist strongholds, logistics hubs, training camps and key movement corridors.
According to the NAF, the air campaign significantly disrupted terrorist supply chains, degraded leadership structures and denied hostile groups freedom of movement across the North-East, North-West and North-Central regions.
These gains enabled ground forces to advance, reclaim contested areas and stabilise vulnerable communities, while weakening the morale and operational capacity of insurgents and bandits.
Beyond counter-terrorism, the Air Force also recorded strategic successes in the Niger Delta, where precision strikes destroyed hundreds of illegal refining reservoirs, 126 storage tanks and boats used by oil thieves.
The operations, the Service said, curtailed criminal financing, boosted oil production and reinforced national economic security.
Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, attributed the achievements to improved intelligence, enhanced crew proficiency, better platform availability and seamless coordination with other security agencies, alongside sustained support from the Federal Government.
He assured Nigerians that the NAF will intensify operations in 2026 while maintaining strict adherence to Rules of Engagement and International Humanitarian Law, stressing that terrorist elements will find no safe haven within Nigeria’s borders.
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