In a joint military operation, Nigerian and United States security forces conducted precision airstrikes on Thursday targeting identified terrorist positions in northwest Nigeria, including Sokoto State and parts of neighboring Zamfara State, officials confirmed.
The Christmas Day operation focused on militants linked to the Islamic State (ISIS/ISWAP), accused of carrying out bombings and attacks on civilians in the region.
Official statements indicate that the strikes were made possible through intelligence sharing and strategic coordination between the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) and the Nigerian military. US military assets engaged terrorist camps and bombed insurgent locations in Sokoto and surrounding areas of Zamfara, where militants had been using the terrain to launch attacks on local communities.
Security sources reported explosions near villages in Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State, an area previously targeted by ISIS-linked groups. While casualty numbers have not been confirmed, US officials described the operation as “precision hits on terrorist targets,” aimed at reducing the operational strength of militants and their networks.
The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the operation, describing it as part of ongoing counter-terrorism collaboration with the United States. In a statement on Friday, the ministry emphasized that the cooperation respects Nigeria’s sovereignty and international law, involving intelligence sharing and tactical support.
“This collaboration seeks to address persistent terrorism and violent extremism in the northwest region,” the ministry said.
US officials, including President Donald Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, framed the strikes as a response to extremists targeting civilians, particularly religious minorities, though the Nigerian government cautioned against framing the country’s security challenges solely along religious lines.
President Trump, in a post on Truth Social, said:
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even centuries! I have previously warned these terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was. The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing. Under my leadership, our country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper. May God bless our Military, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues.”
The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through spokesperson Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, reiterated that the operation reflects structured cooperation with international partners to combat terrorism and violent extremism. The ministry stressed that all counter-terrorism efforts are guided by the need to protect civilian lives, maintain national unity, and uphold the rights and dignity of all citizens, regardless of faith or ethnicity.
The ministry added that it will continue to collaborate with partners to disrupt terrorist networks, weaken their financing and logistics, and prevent cross-border threats, while enhancing Nigeria’s security institutions and intelligence capabilities. Citizens will be kept informed through official channels as events develop.
