{"id":33323,"date":"2025-12-27T01:10:06","date_gmt":"2025-12-26T23:10:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/?p=33323"},"modified":"2025-12-27T01:22:49","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T23:22:49","slug":"us-conducts-airstrikes-against-isis-linked-militants-in-nigeria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/us-conducts-airstrikes-against-isis-linked-militants-in-nigeria\/","title":{"rendered":"US conducts airstrikes against ISIS-linked militants in Nigeria"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>6 minute read<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The United States carried out airstrikes against militants linked to the Islamic State group in northwestern Nigeria on December 25, 2025, targeting militant camps in Sokoto state.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>U.S. President Donald Trump described the airstrike as a \u201cpowerful and deadly\u201d operation conducted with the approval and cooperation of the Nigerian government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trump announced the operation in a Christmas evening post on social media, accusing militants of \u201ctargeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The U.S. did not provide details on the scale of the operation or the extent of damage caused, but Trump said U.S. forces had executed \u201cnumerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing,\u201d adding that \u201cour Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Joint US-Nigerian Operation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A U.S. Department of War official said the strikes were carried out in coordination with Nigeria and had been approved by authorities in Abuja.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nigeria\u2019s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the cooperation, saying it involved intelligence sharing and strategic coordination conducted in ways \u201cconsistent with international law, mutual respect for sovereignty and shared commitments to regional and global security.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar said the operation was joint and had \u201cnothing to do with a particular religion.\u201d Speaking about the timing of the strikes, he said they had been planned \u201cfor quite some time\u201d and stressed that they did not have \u201canything to do with Christmas.\u201d Tuggar also did not rule out further strikes.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">&quot;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&#8230;&quot; &#8211; President Donald J. Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/AUUmTMABSs\">pic.twitter.com\/AUUmTMABSs<\/a><\/p>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WhiteHouse\/status\/2004347074595234163?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 26, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p><br>The U.S. military said an initial assessment suggested \u201cmultiple\u201d militant fatalities in Sokoto state, though casualty figures remain unclear. Nigerian officials also confirmed that militants were killed but said it was too early to provide precise numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Focus on the Lakurawa Militant Group<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Security analysts and local officials indicated that the primary target of the strikes was likely the Lakurawa group, a lesser-known but increasingly lethal militant organization operating in northwestern Nigeria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lakurawa has sought to establish control over rural areas of Sokoto and neighboring Kebbi state, using dense forest areas as hideouts and launching attacks on remote communities and security forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLakurawa is a group that is actually controlling territories in Nigeria, in Sokoto state and in other states like Kebbi,\u201d said Malik Samuel, a Nigerian security researcher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn the northwest, there has been the incursion of violent extremist groups that are ideologically driven,\u201d he said, attributing their expansion to the near absence of state authority and security forces in key hotspots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The chairman of Tangaza local government area in Sokoto state, Isa Salihu Bashir, said the airstrikes \u201chit some Lakurawa terrorist camps.\u201d He said many fighters had been killed but could not confirm the death toll, adding that border patrols on the Niger side reported seeing militants fleeing the targeted areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-media-max-width=\"800\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@POTUS<\/a> \u201cTonight, 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\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ct7rUW128t\">pic.twitter.com\/ct7rUW128t<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Department of War \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@DeptofWar) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DeptofWar\/status\/2004351717131903272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 26, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p><br><br><strong>Religious Dimension Disputed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trump has repeatedly accused Nigeria\u2019s government of failing to protect Christians from extremist violence and has framed the latest strikes as a response to attacks on Christian communities. \u201cThey have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nigerian officials and residents, however, have rejected claims that the violence is directed at one religious group alone. \u201cTerrorist violence in any form, whether directed at Christians, Muslims, or other communities, remains an affront to Nigeria\u2019s values and to international peace and security,\u201d Nigeria\u2019s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nigeria\u2019s government has previously emphasized that extremist attacks affect people of many faiths. The country\u2019s security crisis includes religiously motivated violence, but also conflicts driven by competition over land and resources, communal rivalries, ethnic tensions, criminal banditry, and separatist movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>US Pressure on Nigeria Intensifies<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The airstrikes come amid increased pressure from Washington on Abuja. Last month, Trump ordered the Pentagon to begin planning for potential military action in Nigeria, citing what he called the persecution of Christians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The U.S. State Department has since announced visa restrictions targeting Nigerians and their family members involved in the killings of Christians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The United States has also designated Nigeria a \u201ccountry of particular concern\u201d under the International Religious Freedom Act, a classification reserved for countries accused of severe violations of religious freedom and one that can open the door to sanctions.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/US-strikes-Nigeria.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1016\" height=\"765\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/US-strikes-Nigeria.jpg?resize=1016%2C765&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Residents inspect the damage in Nigeria after U.S. strike against Islamic State militants\" class=\"wp-image-33328\" style=\"width:840px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/US-strikes-Nigeria.jpg?resize=1024%2C771&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/US-strikes-Nigeria.jpg?resize=300%2C226&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/US-strikes-Nigeria.jpg?resize=768%2C579&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/US-strikes-Nigeria.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1016px) 100vw, 1016px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>Residents inspect the damage in Offa, Kwara State, Nigeria, on December 26, 2025, after U.S. forces had launched a strike against Islamic State militants in Nigeria on December 25, 2025. (Image Credit: Reuters\/Abdullahi Dare Akogun)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth reinforced the administration\u2019s stance in a post late Thursday, saying, \u201cThe President was clear last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria (and elsewhere) must end.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He added that U.S. military forces are \u201calways ready, so ISIS found out tonight, on Christmas,\u201d and wrote, \u201cMore to come. Grateful for Nigerian government support &amp; cooperation,\u201d before signing off, \u201cMerry Christmas!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Nigeria\u2019s Complex Security Landscape<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nigeria, Africa\u2019s most populous country with around 220 million people, is divided almost evenly between Christians and Muslims. For more than a decade, it has faced insurgency from Boko Haram and Islamic State-linked factions, primarily in the northeastern state of Borno. These groups have killed thousands of people and displaced millions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most victims of jihadist violence in Nigeria have been Muslims, according to conflict monitoring groups. Human rights lawyer and conflict analyst Bulama Bukati said the Lakurawa fighters began slipping into Nigeria around 2018 and over the past two years had established camps in Sokoto and Kebbi states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey have been launching attacks and imposing their social laws over people in Sokoto state over the past 18 months or so,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Nigeria strikes mark the second major U.S. operation against Islamic State targets in recent weeks. Last week, U.S. forces carried out a large-scale strike against IS in Syria, hitting more than 70 targets with fighter jets, attack helicopters, and artillery in retaliation for the killing of three Americans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite these actions, the overall U.S. military footprint in Africa has diminished in recent years, with several partnerships scaled down or canceled. Any larger-scale intervention in Nigeria would likely require redeploying forces from other regions. For now, both Washington and Abuja are signaling continued cooperation, even as disagreements persist over how to frame the violence and its underlying causes.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Nigerian-military-secure-area-in-Maiduguri.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"564\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Nigerian-military-secure-area-in-Maiduguri.jpg?resize=900%2C564&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Nigerian military secure an area in Maiduguri\" class=\"wp-image-20432\" style=\"width:840px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Nigerian-military-secure-area-in-Maiduguri.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Nigerian-military-secure-area-in-Maiduguri.jpg?resize=300%2C188&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Nigerian-military-secure-area-in-Maiduguri.jpg?resize=768%2C481&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>Nigerian military secures an area in Maiduguri, Nigeria, on February 16, 2019. (Image Credit: Reuters)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The United States carried out airstrikes against militants linked to the Islamic State group in northwestern Nigeria on December 25, 2025, targeting militant camps in Sokoto state. Trump described the airstrike as a \u201cpowerful and deadly\u201d operation conducted with the approval and cooperation of the Nigerian government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21103,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[38,1,125],"tags":[355,16,434,14,5,104,205,113,11,7],"class_list":["post-33323","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-africa","category-news","category-united-states","tag-africa","tag-airstrike","tag-isil","tag-isis","tag-military","tag-nigeria","tag-pentagon","tag-security","tag-terrorism","tag-u-s"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/US-strikes-on-Houthis.jpg?fit=690%2C370&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7jJWb-8Ft","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33323","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33323"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33323\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33336,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33323\/revisions\/33336"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21103"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33323"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}