Nigerian air force kill more than 40 militants gathering in canoes in Borno state

Nigerian air force strikes have reportedly killed more than 40 militants and destroyed approximately 10 canoes in Borno state, the military announced late on Sunday.

The operations targeted groups around Lake Chad, as part of a series of ongoing efforts.

Borno remains the epicentre of the 17-year Islamist insurgency in Nigeria's northeast, where fighters from Boko Haram and ISWAP have recently escalated attacks on military convoys and civilians.

Air force spokesperson Ehimen Ejodame confirmed that airstrikes on 15 and 16 January in the Musarram and Azir communities signal renewed military pressure on insurgents.

These groups frequently exploit the region's rugged terrain to launch raids on troops and nearby communities.

The air force stated that militants were hit in Musarram on Thursday following intelligence indicating they were massing in canoes to attack Baga town and the fish dam area of Lake Chad.

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Ejodame said in a statement that "three bombing runs broke up the group, with fleeing gunmen tracked into nearby trees and neutralised."

Troops and local officials reported the airstrikes foiled the planned attack.

On Friday in Azir, close-air-support aircraft struck terrorists retreating from an earlier clash and regrouping under trees, killing several and restoring order, Ejodame said.

In December 2025, the United States launched airstrikes that targeted Islamic State militants in northwestern Nigeria on Thursday, which marked a major escalation in an offensive that Nigeria's overstretched military has struggled with for years.

US President Donald Trump said on social media that the “powerful and deadly” strikes were carried out against Islamic State militants, targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians.”

Residents and security analysts previously said Nigeria’s security crisis affects both Christians, predominant in the south, and Muslims, who are the majority in the north.

Nigeria, which is battling multiple armed groups, said the US strikes were part of an exchange of intelligence and strategic coordination between the two countries.