Overview
- Officials in Abuja and at U.S. Africa Command confirmed coordinated strikes on two sites in Sokoto’s Bauni forest/Tangaza district, with initial assessments of multiple militant deaths but no verified toll.
- Nigerian spokesmen said targets included Islamic State elements collaborating with Lakurawa and local bandit gangs, citing concerns over foreign fighters moving in from the Sahel corridor.
- Accounts of the weapons diverged, with U.S. footage showing missiles launched from a Navy vessel in the Gulf of Guinea as Nigeria reported 16 GPS-guided munitions delivered by MQ-9 Reaper drones.
- Authorities reported debris from the operation damaged structures in parts of Sokoto and neighboring Kwara State, and said there were no civilian casualties.
- President Trump cast the action as protecting Christians and said he delayed it to Christmas, while Nigerian officials rejected a sectarian framing and both governments signaled the possibility of additional strikes.