Nigeria has confirmed that US forces carried out coordinated airstrikes on Islamic State–linked militants in the country’s northwest on Christmas Day, in what officials described as a joint counterterrorism operation supported by Nigerian intelligence.
The strikes, conducted in Sokoto State, targeted fighters linked to Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP) and members of Lakurawa, a jihadist faction that has grown increasingly active along Nigeria’s border with Niger over the past year.
US President Donald Trump announced the operation on Christmas night, calling the militants “ISIS terrorist scum” and claiming they had been “viciously killing innocent Christians” in the region.  
Nigeria, however, rejected the framing, saying armed groups in the country attack both Muslims and Christians, and that the operation was based on shared intelligence rather than religious motivations.
Nigeria: We provided the intelligence
Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar said Abuja supplied the intelligence that guided the strikes and confirmed that President Bola Tinubu personally approved the operation.
“It is an ongoing cooperation,” Tuggar said, adding that more joint actions with the US and other partners may follow.
A US defence official told Reuters that the attack involved around a dozen Tomahawk missiles launched from a naval vessel, and that another strike was not imminent.
Targets still unclear
Neither Washington nor Abuja has confirmed exactly which armed group was hit.  
Nigeria hosts several ISIL‑affiliated factions, including:
ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province) in the northeast  
ISSP/Lakurawa, active in Sokoto and Kebbi in the northwest  
Security analysts say the likely target was Lakurawa, which has become more lethal in the past year and is believed to have received support from ISIL fighters moving south from the Sahel.
Residents in affected areas reported loud explosions that “shook the whole town,” with debris from expended munitions damaging buildings in Offa and other villages.
The strikes have triggered political debate in Nigeria after Trump told Politico he delayed the operation so it would take place on Christmas Day, calling it a “Christmas present” to militants.
Nigerian officials also expressed frustration that Washington released its statement before the agreed joint announcement, prompting confusion over whether the operation was unilateral or coordinated.
Context: A country battling multiple armed groups
Nigeria faces overlapping security crises:
Jihadist insurgency in the northeast (Boko Haram and ISWAP)  
Banditry and kidnappings in the northwest  
Farmer–herder clashes in central states  
Cross‑border infiltration from Niger and Mali following the 2023 coup in Niger  
Analysts warn that ISIL‑Sahel fighters have increasingly crossed into Nigeria’s northwest, exploiting weak border control and strained relations between Abuja and Niamey.
The US operation came a day after a suicide bombing at a mosque in Maiduguri, northeastern Nigeria, killed at least five people and injured dozens during evening prayers.  
Authorities suspect Boko Haram or ISWAP.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said there is “more to come,” signalling that Washington may expand its counter‑ISIL operations in West Africa in 2026.
Nigeria’s government says it remains committed to working with international partners while maintaining its sovereignty.