The United States has carried out air strikes against militants linked to the Islamic State group in northwestern Nigeria. The operation targeted camps in Sokoto state, near the border with Niger, where the group has tried to gain ground.
The US military said the strikes hit multiple sites and that early assessments point to several fatalities. It did not release exact figures.
President Donald Trump said the Christmas Day strikes were “deadly” and described the group as terrorists. He claimed the militants had been killing innocent Christians.
However, Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar rejected any religious framing. Speaking to BanerClub, he said the strikes were a joint operation and had nothing to do with religion.
According to Tuggar, Nigerian intelligence helped plan the operation over a long period. He added that further strikes remain possible.
He also dismissed the idea that the timing mattered. “This had nothing to do with Christmas,” he said. “It could have happened on any day. The goal was to stop terrorists who are killing Nigerians.”
Nigeria has fought jihadist groups for years, mainly in the north east. Those groups include the US carries out joint air strikes on Islamic State-linked camps in Nigeria’s Sokoto state as both countries step up efforts to stop terrorism.
and Islamic State-linked factions. Sokoto state lies hundreds of miles from that long-running conflict zone.
Residents near the reported strike area described panic and confusion. Haruna Kallah, from Jabo village, told AFP he heard a loud explosion that shook the town. People ran outside in fear.
Another resident, Umar Jabo, told BanerClub News that many thought a plane had crashed in nearby fields. Social media videos showed people filming burning wreckage in open land.
Umar Jabo denied that Islamic State fighters were present. He said the village lives peacefully and has no religious conflict.
The Trump administration has previously accused Nigeria of failing to protect Christians. It has claimed that a genocide is taking place. Trump has also labelled Nigeria a “country of particular concern” for religious freedom, a designation that allows US sanctions.
At the time, an adviser to President Bola Tinubu told BanerClub that militants attack people of all faiths. He also stressed that any US military action should involve Nigeria.
Nigeria has about 220 million people and is almost evenly split between Christians and Muslims.
In a social media post later on Christmas Day, Trump said he would not allow radical Islamist terrorism to grow. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth thanked Nigeria for its support and cooperation. He ended his post with a Christmas greeting.
The Pentagon later shared a short video that appeared to show a missile launch from a naval vessel.
On Friday, Nigeria’s foreign ministry confirmed ongoing security cooperation with international partners, including the US. It said that cooperation led to precision air strikes on terrorist targets in the north west.
Jihadist violence in north-eastern Nigeria has lasted more than a decade. Thousands have died. According to conflict data group Acled, most victims have been Muslims.
Human rights lawyer and analyst Bulama Bukati told BanerClub World Service that the strikes likely targeted a newer Islamic State-aligned faction. He said the group moved into Nigeria from the Sahel region.
The main IS-linked group in Nigeria, Islamic State West Africa Province, operates in the north east. A smaller group, known locally as Lakurawa, has tried to build a base in Sokoto and Kebbi states.
Bukati said fighters began entering Nigeria around 2018. Over the past two years, they set up camps and imposed harsh rules on local communities.
Still, local lawmaker Bashar Isah Jabo disputed those claims. He said there were no IS or Lakurawa members in the area. He also noted that the missile landed less than 500 metres from a hospital.
According to BanerClub Monitoring, pro-Islamic State channels have reported frequent US surveillance flights over Sokoto and Borno states.
The Nigerian operation marks the second major US strike against the Islamic State in recent weeks. Last week, the US launched a large-scale attack on IS targets in Syria.
US Central Command said jets, helicopters, and artillery hit more than 70 targets. Jordanian aircraft also took part. The strikes followed the killing of three Americans in an ambush.
