US launches strikes against Islamic State in Nigeria

The United States has launched strikes against militants linked to the Islamic State (IS) group in northwest Nigeria, where the militants have sought to gain a foothold.

Camps run by the group in Sokoto state were hit near the border with Niger, the US military said. The number of casualties is unclear, but U.S. and Nigerian officials say militants were killed.

US President Donald Trump said that The Christmas Day strikes were “deadly” and branded the group “terrorist scum,” saying they had “targeted and brutally killed, primarily, innocent Christians.”

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

Tuggar said the strikes had been planned “for some time” based on intelligence provided by Nigeria. He also did not rule out further strikes.

Referring to the timing of the strikes – which took place on Thursday evening – he said they had “nothing to do with Christmas”.

The US military said an “initial assessment” suggested “multiple” deaths in Sokoto state.

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

The BBC was unable to independently confirm the number of casualties.

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

The Nigerian government has long fought a range of jihadist groups, including Boko Haram and factions linked to ISIS, but mainly in the northeast of the country. But in recent years, a smaller group – known locally as the Lakurawa – has sought to establish a base in northwestern Sokoto state.

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

Tangaza is made up of isolated villages, whose inhabitants are mostly moderate practicing Muslims.

In a statement Friday evening, Nigeria’s Ministry of Information said “precision strike operations” were carried out with the “explicit approval” of President Bola Tinubu and with the “full involvement of the armed forces of Nigeria.”

He also said that during the operation, munitions debris fell in two communities: Jabo village, also in Sokoto State, and Offa, in Kwara State, about 600 kilometers to the south. No civilian casualties were reported in either location.

An eyewitness in Jabo, Umar Jabo told the BBC: “Something that looked like a plane burst and crashed…into some fields.”

He said there were no problems with ISIS in the region: “We live in peace and there is no conflict between us and the Christians.”

The Trump administration has already accused the Nigerian government of failing to protect Christians from jihadist attacks and claimed that a “genocide” was being carried out.

Trump called Nigeria a “country of particular concern,” a designation used by the U.S. State Department that provides for sanctions against countries “engaged in serious violations of religious freedom.”

The US military was ordered to prepare for intervention in Nigeria in November.

In a social media post late on Christmas Day confirming the strikes, Trump said he “would not allow radical Islamic terrorism to flourish.”

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday he was “grateful for the support and cooperation of the Nigerian government.” The Pentagon then released a short video that appeared to show a missile being launched from a ship.

Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country, with around 220 million people, roughly evenly split between Christians and Muslims.

Jihadist groups such as Boko Haram and ISIS-linked branches have been wreaking havoc in northeastern Nigeria for more than a decade, killing thousands.

Most of the victims are Muslims, according to Acled, a group that analyzes political violence around the world.

The strikes mark the second major US intervention against ISIS in recent weeks.

Last week, the United States announced it had carried out a “massive strike” against ISIS in Syria.

US Central Command (Centcom) said warplanes, attack helicopters and artillery struck more than 70 targets. Jordanian planes were also involved.

The strikes were launched in retaliation for the deaths of three Americans – two soldiers and a civilian interpreter – in an ambush.