The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), operating under the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI, has achieved a significant counter-terrorism success with precision air strikes that destroyed a terrorist enclave and neutralised scores of insurgents at METELE in the Northern Tumbuns area of the Lake Chad Basin, further degrading terrorist capabilities in the region.
The Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame stated that the operation, conducted in the early hours of 10 June 2026, was launched after credible intelligence and subsequent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions confirmed the presence of a senior terrorist commander, terrorist hideouts, and heightened terrorist activity within the area.
According to him, acting on the intelligence, NAF air assets engaged the identified targets with precision.
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Ejodame said that “upon arrival, aircrew observed significant terrorist movement around the concealed structures, confirming the presence of hostile elements. Following positive target identification, the aircraft executed devastating strikes on the designated locations”.Â
He noted that post-strike Battle Damage Assessment confirmed the destruction of the terrorist enclave and the neutralisation of scores of terrorists.
Reacting to the successful operation, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, commended the personnel involved and reaffirmed the NAF’s commitment to sustaining relentless pressure on terrorist elements.
“We will continue to leverage our air power capabilities to locate, strike, and destroy terrorist targets wherever they are found. The Nigerian Air Force remains resolute in denying terrorists freedom of action and ensuring they have no safe haven within our sovereign territory”, he added.
