US Conducts Airstrikes Against Islamic State in Northwest Nigeria

Sun Dec 28 2025 11:51:53 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a bold move, the United States carried out targeted strikes against Islamic State militants in Nigeria, marking a significant escalation in the fight against terrorism in the region. President Donald Trump described the strikes as a 'Christmas present' while Nigerian officials confirmed it as a joint operation.

On December 25, the US executed airstrikes targeting Islamic State camps in Sokoto state, Nigeria. President Trump referred to the strikes as a 'Christmas present,' leading to conflicting narratives with Nigerian officials who described it as a pre-planned operation. Initial reports suggest multiple fatalities among militants, but casualty figures remain unclear. The Nigerian government has been combating jihadist groups, including Boko Haram and IS offshoots, as the violence in the region escalates. Both nations emphasized cooperation in combating terrorism, although the US has previously criticized Nigeria's handling of religious persecution.

The US has launched powerful and deadly strikes against militants linked to the Islamic State group (IS) in north-western Nigeria, where militants have sought to establish a foothold, President Donald Trump said.

Trump told Politico he ordered the 25 December strikes as a Christmas present - contradicting a statement by Nigerian officials.

Camps run by the group in Sokoto state were hit near the border with Niger, the US military said. Casualty numbers are unclear, but both US and Nigerian officials say militants were killed.

Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar told the BBC it was a joint operation and had nothing to do with a particular religion.

Tuggar said the strikes had been planned for quite some time using intelligence provided by Nigeria. He did not rule out further strikes.

Referring to the timing of strikes - which took place late on Thursday - he said they did not have anything to do with Christmas.

But Trump told Politico otherwise in an interview.

They were going to do it earlier, Trump said of the airstrikes. And I said, 'nope, let's give a Christmas present.'

They didn't think that was coming, but we hit them hard. Every camp got decimated.

The US military said an initial assessment suggested multiple fatalities in Sokoto state.

A local official in the Tangaza area of Sokoto state, Isa Salihu Bashir, told the BBC the strikes had hit some Lakurawa terrorist camps. He said many fighters had been killed but the death toll was unclear.

The BBC has been unable to independently confirm casualty figures.

Bashir added that border patrols on the Niger side reported seeing Lakurawa fighters fleeing the targeted areas.

The Nigerian government has long been fighting an array of jihadist groups, including Boko Haram and IS-linked factions, but largely in the north-east.

But in recent years a smaller group - known locally as Lakurawa - has sought to establish a base in north-western Sokoto state.

Nigerian authorities say the group has links to jihadist networks in Mali and Niger. They add that its members have settled in border communities, recruited young people, and imposed harsh controls.

Tangaza is made up of remote villages, whose residents are mostly moderate Muslims.

In a statement late on Friday, Nigeria's information ministry said precision strike operations had been carried with the explicit approval of President Bola Tinubu and with the full involvement of the armed forces of Nigeria.

It also said that during the operation debris from munitions fell in two communities – the village of Jabo, also in Sokoto state, and Offa in Kwara state, about 600km (370 miles) to the south. No civilian casualties were reported in either location.

The Trump administration has previously accused the Nigerian government of failing to protect Christians from jihadist attacks and has claimed a genocide is being perpetrated.

Trump has labelled Nigeria a country of particular concern, a designation used by the US State Department that provides for sanctions against countries engaged in severe violations of religious freedom.

The US military was ordered to prepare to intervene in Nigeria in November.