The United States, in coordination with Nigerian security forces, has carried out precision airstrikes on Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist enclaves in Sokoto State, targeting camps along the Bauni forest axis of Tangaza Local Government Area, a known infiltration route from the Sahel region. The operation, conducted late Thursday night into the early hours of Friday, December 26, 2025, was approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and is described by security sources as a strategic “test run,” with follow-up operations ongoing to neutralize remaining threats.
Nigeria’s Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, disclosed that the strikes were executed between 12:12 a.m. and 1:30 a.m., based on intelligence confirming the locations were being used by foreign ISIS elements collaborating with local affiliates to plan large-scale attacks within Nigeria. The joint mission reportedly involved 16 GPS-guided precision munitions deployed via MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial platforms, launched from maritime platforms in the Gulf of Guinea under Nigerian military supervision.
The US Africa Command (AFRICOM) confirmed that multiple ISIS militants were neutralized, while Pentagon footage showed projectiles launched from a US warship striking known terrorist camps. A US military official further indicated that about a dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles were used in the operation. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and AFRICOM Commander Dagvin Anderson both acknowledged Nigeria’s cooperation, describing the strikes as a boost to regional counterterrorism efforts.
Residents in Tambuwal and Tangaza LGAs reported a night of terror as the skies lit up red with deafening explosions, causing panic among communities. In Offa, Kwara State, fragments from the munitions damaged several buildings, including a hotel in the Adeleke area, though authorities confirmed no civilian casualties. Police and bomb disposal units secured affected sites to prevent further danger.
The airstrikes have sparked political reactions, with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) criticizing President Tinubu over the involvement of foreign forces, while other leaders and analysts defended the operation as lawful and necessary. Meanwhile, former Senate Leader Ali Ndume called for the expansion of joint US-Nigeria military operations to the North-East, and former Senator Shehu Sani argued that the strikes do not violate Nigeria’s sovereignty since they were conducted with government consent.
The Federal Government reaffirmed its resolve to confront terrorism through strategic partnerships, stressing that the operation underscores growing international collaboration aimed at restoring peace, strengthening border security, and degrading transnational extremist networks threatening Nigeria’s stability.
