A joint counter-terrorism operation involving Nigeria and the United States has struck Islamic State (ISIS) targets in north-western Nigeria, with 16 GPS-guided precision munitions deployed against terrorist camps in Sokoto State.
Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the strikes were carried out using MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles in the early hours of Friday, December 26, 2025. The operation, he said, disrupted ISIS elements attempting to enter Nigeria through the Sahel corridor.
According to Idris, the action was authorised by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and executed under Nigeria’s established military command framework, with full participation of the Armed Forces. He explained that the strikes targeted two key ISIS assembly and staging locations within the Bauni forest area of Tangaza Local Government.
Intelligence assessments, the minister said, showed that the camps were being used by foreign ISIS fighters working with local affiliates to plan coordinated attacks inside Nigeria. The operation followed extensive intelligence gathering, surveillance, and reconnaissance, with launch platforms operating from maritime positions in the Gulf of Guinea.
Idris confirmed that fragments from expended munitions were later found in parts of Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State and in Offa, Kwara State. However, he stressed that no civilian casualties were recorded and that security agencies swiftly secured the affected locations.
Reaffirming the government’s stance, Idris said Nigeria remains resolute in confronting transnational terrorist networks and maintaining control over its national security environment.
Earlier, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, had clarified that the operation was carried out with Nigeria’s consent and intelligence support, emphasising that it did not breach the country’s sovereignty. He noted that President Tinubu personally approved the strikes following consultations with U.S. officials.
The United States later confirmed the operation, with President Donald Trump authorising the strikes on ISIS camps near Nigeria’s border with Niger. U.S. officials said initial assessments indicated multiple terrorist casualties, while praising Nigeria’s cooperation in the operation.
Nigerian authorities urged citizens to remain calm and vigilant, assuring that coordinated actions with strategic partners would continue to safeguard national security and regional stability.
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