By M. Kindzeka (VOA) -
The United States has carried out airstrikes targeting militants linked to the Islamic State (IS) group in north-western Nigeria, marking a rare US military intervention in the region, US and Nigerian officials have confirmed.
According to the US military, the strikes hit camps operated by the militant group in Sokoto state, close to Nigeria’s border with Niger. While exact casualty figures remain unclear, both US and Nigerian authorities said multiple fighters were killed in the operation.
US President Donald Trump said the Christmas Day strikes had been “deadly,” describing the militants as “terrorist scum” and accusing them of “targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians.”
However, Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar rejected any religious framing of the operation. Speaking to the BBC, he said the airstrikes were part of a “joint operation” planned well in advance using Nigerian intelligence, and stressed they had “nothing to do with a particular religion” or with Christmas. He also did not rule out the possibility of further strikes.
The US military said an initial assessment indicated “multiple” fatalities among militants in Sokoto state.
A local official in Tangaza, one of the affected areas, Isa Salihu Bashir, told the BBC that the strikes hit camps belonging to the Lakurawa group, a locally known IS-linked faction. He said many fighters were killed, though the exact death toll could not be confirmed. Border patrols on the Niger side reportedly observed militants fleeing the area following the strikes.
Nigeria has long battled jihadist groups such as Boko Haram and IS-affiliated factions, primarily in the country’s north-east. In recent years, however, the Lakurawa group has attempted to establish a foothold in north-western Sokoto state. Nigerian authorities say the group has links to jihadist networks operating in Mali and Niger, recruits young people in border communities, and enforces strict controls over local populations.
In a statement issued late Friday, Nigeria’s Ministry of Information said the “precision strike operations” were carried out with the explicit approval of President Bola Tinubu and with the full involvement of Nigeria’s armed forces.
The ministry also confirmed that debris from munitions fell in two communities — Jabo village in Sokoto state and Offa in Kwara state, around 600 kilometres south — but said no civilian casualties were reported.
An eyewitness in Jabo, Umar Jabo, told the BBC he saw “something that looked like a plane” flash across the sky before crashing into nearby fields. He said there was no known IS presence in the area and emphasised peaceful coexistence between religious communities.
The Trump administration has previously accused Nigeria of failing to protect Christians from jihadist violence, at times alleging a “genocide.” Trump has designated Nigeria a “country of particular concern” under US religious freedom laws, a status that can trigger sanctions. In a social media post confirming the strikes, he said the US would “not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper.”
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth thanked the Nigerian government for its cooperation, while the Pentagon released video footage appearing to show a missile launch from a naval vessel.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has about 220 million people and is roughly evenly divided between Christians and Muslims. According to conflict monitoring group ACLED, most victims of jihadist violence in Nigeria over the past decade have been Muslims.
The Nigeria operation marks the second major US strike against IS targets in recent weeks. Last week, US forces carried out what officials described as a “massive strike” against IS positions in Syria, involving fighter jets, attack helicopters, artillery and aircraft from Jordan. Those strikes followed an ambush that killed three Americans, including two soldiers.
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