US strikes Nigeria operations have escalated following airstrikes against militants linked to the Islamic State group in the country’s north-west. The strikes, carried out on 25 December, targeted camps in Sokoto state near the border with Niger, an area where jihadist groups have recently attempted to establish a foothold.
The US strikes Nigeria campaign was confirmed by American and Nigerian officials, although accounts differed over the timing and motivation behind the operation. Casualty figures remain unclear, but authorities on both sides say multiple militants were killed.
US strikes Nigeria described as joint operation
Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, told the BBC that the US strikes Nigeria effort was a joint operation between Washington and Abuja. He said the action had been planned for some time using Nigerian intelligence and stressed that it had no religious motivation.
Tuggar added that further strikes were not being ruled out. He also rejected claims that the timing was symbolic, saying the operation had nothing to do with Christmas. Nigerian officials later confirmed that the strikes were carried out with the explicit approval of President Bola Tinubu and with full involvement of the Nigerian armed forces.
In contrast, US President Donald Trump told Politico that he personally ordered the strikes to take place on Christmas Day, describing them as a “Christmas present” for the militants. He claimed that all identified camps were hit and heavily damaged.
US strikes Nigeria hit IS-linked Lakurawa camps
According to the US military, the strikes targeted camps operated by militants linked to Islamic State in Sokoto state. Local officials in Tangaza, a remote area of the state, said the attacks struck camps belonging to a group known locally as Lakurawa.
The Lakurawa group is believed to have connections to jihadist networks operating across Mali and Niger. Nigerian authorities say its members have settled in border communities, recruited young people, and imposed harsh rules on local populations.
A local official, Isa Salihu Bashir, told the BBC that many fighters were killed, although an exact death toll could not be confirmed. Border patrols on the Niger side reportedly observed militants fleeing the area following the strikes.
US strikes Nigeria raise local concerns
Nigerian authorities acknowledged that debris from munitions landed in two civilian areas, including the village of Jabo in Sokoto state and Offa in Kwara state, around 600 kilometres to the south. Officials said no civilian casualties were reported.
An eyewitness in Jabo said he saw something resembling a plane flash overhead before debris landed in nearby fields. He also told the BBC that there had been no local conflict between Muslims and Christians in the area, countering claims that religious violence was widespread there.
US strikes Nigeria follow wider regional action
The US strikes Nigeria operation marks the second major American military action against Islamic State targets in recent weeks. Earlier, the US said it carried out extensive strikes against IS positions in Syria, following the killing of three Americans in an ambush.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has battled jihadist violence for more than a decade, particularly in the north-east, where Boko Haram and IS-linked groups have killed thousands. Most victims, according to conflict analysts, have been Muslims.
As US strikes Nigeria continue to draw international attention, the operation underscores growing concerns about militant expansion in West Africa and the increasing role of foreign military support in addressing regional security threats.
