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The Nigerian military announced Sunday night that air strikes by the Nigerian Air Force have reportedly killed more than 40 militants and destroyed about 10 canoes in Borno state.
These operations are targeting groups around Lake Chad as part of an ongoing series of efforts.
Borno remains the epicenter of a 17-year-old Islamist insurgency in northeast Nigeria, Boko Haram and ISWAP militants have recently escalated attacks on military convoys and civilians.
Air force spokesman Ehimen Ejodame confirmed that the January 15-16 air strikes on Musarram and Azir communities marked renewed military pressure on the rebels.
These groups often take advantage of the region’s rugged terrain to launch attacks against troops and nearby communities.
The air force said militants were hit in Musallam on Thursday after intelligence suggested they were massing canoes to attack the town of Baga and the fish dam area of Lake Chad.
“Three bombing operations dispersed the group and the fleeing gunmen were tracked into nearby woods and subdued,” Ejodam said in a statement.
Troops and local officials reported that airstrikes thwarted the planned attack.
In Azir on Friday, close air support aircraft struck terrorists who had retreated from previous clashes and regrouped under trees, killing several people and restoring order, Ejodam said.
In December 2025, the United States launched air strikes on Thursday against Islamic State militants in northwest Nigeria.marking a significant escalation of an offensive that the Nigerian military has been struggling with for years.
President of the United States Donald Trump Said on social media that the “powerful and deadly” attack targeted Islam State militants primarily target and viciously kill innocent people christian“.
Residents and security analysts have previously said Nigeria’s security crisis affects both Christians in the south and Muslims in the north.
Nigeria, which is battling multiple armed groups, said the U.S. attack was part of intelligence exchanges and strategic coordination between the two countries.