The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has confirmed that it carried out a series of coordinated airstrikes between June 24 and 26, 2025, targeting terrorist strongholds in Kakihun and Kumbashi communities of Niger State, neutralising dozens of insurgents and dismantling their logistical infrastructure.

The precision strikes, conducted under Operation FANSAR YAMMA Sector 1, were based on actionable intelligence and executed in close coordination with ground troops and other security agencies, NAF said in an official statement released Friday by its Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet.

The operation was launched in response to a wave of recent attacks and cattle rustling incidents attributed to armed groups operating in the region.

“Through effective inter-service and inter-agency collaboration, the NAF identified terrorist activities in the targeted communities. Swift deployment of air assets allowed us to execute multiple waves of airstrikes that neutralised scores of terrorists, destroyed their logistics hubs, and disrupted their attempts to regroup,” the statement read.

Gabkwet added that the operation highlighted the Air Force’s “professionalism, rapid response capability, and unwavering commitment to supporting ground forces in the fight against terrorism.”

The strikes are part of a broader military campaign aimed at restoring peace to Nigeria’s embattled north-central region, where armed banditry and insurgency have threatened rural communities and disrupted socioeconomic activities.

“The Nigerian Air Force remains resolutely committed to protecting the lives and property of all Nigerians and ensuring lasting peace across the country,” Gabkwet reiterated.

The success of the mission is expected to further degrade the operational capacity of terror groups in Niger State and reaffirm the security forces’ determination to eliminate insurgency threats nationwide.