Nigeria's military has killed 592 terrorists in the northeastern state of Borno in the past eight months after stepping up air strikes in a region hit by years of Boko Haram violence, the air force said.

The results surpassed the operational gains recorded in 2024, Chief of Air Staff Hasan Abubakar said during a visit to Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum on Tuesday.

Abubakar said the air force also destroyed more than 200 technical vehicles and 166 logistics hubs in a sweeping offensive against terrorists in the northeast.

Terrorists from Boko Haram and Daesh have for years attacked security forces and civilians in Nigeria’s northeast, causing widespread displacement and thousands of deaths.

High-value targets

"This year, our air war is faster, sharper and more surgical," Abubakar said. "We are taking out high-value targets, crippling logistics networks and dismantling cells that threaten peace in the northeast."

Abubakar said the operation involved coordinated day-and-night air strikes across key locations in the state, including Gonori, Rann, Dikwa, Damboa, Azir and Mallam Fatori.

He said Nigerian Air Force aircraft flew 798 combat sorties and logged over 1,500 operational flight hours under Operation Hadin Kai, the Nigerian military's anti-terror operation in the northeast.

This week, the military said it killed scores of armed kidnappers in a joint air and ground operation in Zamfara, northwest Nigeria, after more than 400 of them were seen preparing to attack a village in the state.