The United States has carried out airstrikes against a group of fighters linked to the Islamic State in northwestern Nigeria. These fighters have been trying to take control of the area.
The U.S. military attacked camps in Sokoto State, near the border with Niger. They found that several people may have been killed in the strikes.
President Donald Trump called the strikes strong and said the fighters were dangerous people who target innocent Christians.
Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar said this was a joint operation and it wasn’t about any one religion.
He also mentioned that they had planned the strikes for a long time and used information from Nigeria. More strikes could happen in the future.
Tuggar explained that the timing of the attacks wasn’t because of Christmas; it was about stopping terrorists who harm Nigerians.
For years, the Nigerian government has been fighting different groups that cause violence, especially in the northeast part of the country, which is far from Sokoto State.
U.S. Attacked Late Thursday Night
Eyewitness Umar Jabo told BBC News that the attack happened late Thursday night near the village of Jabo. He explained, “Everyone thought it was a plane. It crashed in the fields.”
His statement was supported by images on social media, showing local people filming the burning aftermath in a field.
Umar Jabo also said that no ISIS fighters were killed, adding, “Here in Jabo, we live peacefully, and there is no conflict between Christians and us.”
The Trump administration has accused the Nigerian government of not protecting Christians from attacks by jihadists, claiming that a “genocide” is happening.
Trump has called Nigeria a “country of particular concern.” This label, used by the U.S. State Department, allows for sanctions against countries that violate religious freedom severely.
In November, the U.S. military was ordered to prepare for potential intervention in Nigeria.
During that time, an adviser to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu stated in an interview with BBC News that militants were targeting individuals from various faiths. The adviser emphasized that any military action taken by the U.S. should be conducted jointly with Nigerian forces.
No Evidence that Christians are Being Killed More Than Muslims
Groups that monitor violence in Nigeria report there is no proof that Christians are being killed more than Muslims. The country has roughly equal numbers of both religions.
On Christmas Day, Trump announced airstrikes, saying he would “not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper.”
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth thanked the Nigerian government for its support. He also wished everyone a “Merry Christmas!” in a post on X.
The U.S. Department of Defense shared a video showing a missile being launched from a ship.
On Friday morning, the Nigerian foreign ministry said the country is working closely with international partners, including the United States, to fight terrorism and violence.
This cooperation has led to successful strikes against terrorist targets in the Northwest.
Jihadist groups, like Boko Haram and their IS-connected branches, have caused trouble in northeastern Nigeria for over a decade, killing thousands of people. Reports from Acled show that most victims are Muslims.
Bulama Bukati, a Nigerian human rights lawyer and conflict analyst, thinks Thursday’s strikes hit a new IS-aligned group that came from the Sahel region and moved to Nigeria.
Bukati explained that the largest IS-linked group in Nigeria, the Islamic State West Africa Province, operates in the northeast. The smaller group, called Lakurawa, wants to establish a base in Sokoto state in the Northwest.
“They started entering Nigeria in 2018, but in the last 18 months to two years, they have set up camps in Sokoto and Kebbi states,” he said. “They have been attacking people and imposing their rules in Sokoto state during this time.”
Local official Bashar Isah Jabo said there are no IS or Lakurawa members in the village. He added that the missile landed less than 500 meters (1,600 feet) from a local hospital.
Daily U.S. Reconnaissance Flights in Sokoto
A pro-ISIS social media channel reports that U.S. reconnaissance flights are occurring almost daily in Sokoto and in Borno, the northeastern state where Nigeria’s largest ISIS-linked group operates.
In central Nigeria, clashes occur frequently between mostly Muslim herders and farming groups, who are often Christian, over water and pasture access. Conflicts like these create ongoing violence, leading to many deaths. Both sides commit brutal acts.
Recently, the U.S. military has launched two major operations against ISIS. Last week, it carried out a large strike on ISIS in Syria. U.S. Central Command (Centcom) said that fighter jets, attack helicopters, and artillery attacked over 70 targets in multiple locations across central Syria, with aircraft from Jordan also participating in the operation. These strikes were in retaliation for the deaths of three Americans, two soldiers and a civilian interpreter, who were killed in an ambush by the group.
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