Nigeria, U.S. Conduct Joint Military Strike In Northwest, Signal More Operations to Come

The Nigerian government confirmed Friday that it carried out a “joint” precision military operation with United States forces on Christmas Day, targeting ISIS-affiliated militants in the northwestern state of Sokoto. The action signals a potential escalation in coordinated counter-terrorism efforts amid complex regional security crises.

In a televised interview, Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, stated he coordinated with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio ahead of the bombardment and affirmed that further strikes are anticipated. “It is an ongoing thing, and we are working with the US. We are working with other countries as well,” Tuggar said.

The operation follows a period of heightened diplomatic engagement between Abuja and Washington. Earlier U.S. characterizations of Nigeria’s multifaceted conflicts—which the Nigerian government and independent analysts reject—appear to have catalyzed increased security coordination.

“It must be made clear that it is a joint operation, and it is not targeting any religion nor simply in the name of one religion or the other,” Tuggar emphasized, directly addressing concerns that the action was religiously motivated. He confirmed that President Bola Tinubu “gave the go-ahead” for the mission.

The U.S. Africa Command stated that “multiple ISIS terrorists” were killed in the strike. U.S. defense officials later released footage appearing to show a missile launch from a naval vessel.

Confusion and Questions on the Ground

Residents in remote areas of Sokoto State, which borders Niger, reported being startled by powerful explosions. “We heard a loud explosion which shook the whole town, and everyone was scared,” said Haruna Kallah, a resident of Jabo. He expressed surprise that the attack occurred in an area not known as a militant stronghold.

The specific armed group targeted remains unclear, highlighting the complex and overlapping nature of regional insurgencies. While Nigeria’s primary jihadist insurgency is concentrated in the northeast, factions have expanded into the northwest.

Researchers have recently linked some fighters from a Sokoto-based group locally known as *Lakurawa* to the Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP). However, the term *Lakurawa* is fluid, sometimes applied to various armed factions, and other analysts note potential ties to al-Qaeda-affiliated groups, complicating the picture.

A Strategic Partnership Under Scrutiny

Analysts suggest the joint operation reflects strategic recalibration by both nations. “I think Trump would not have accepted a ‘No’ from Nigeria,” said Malik Samuel, a researcher with the NGO Good Governance Africa, referring to recent diplomatic pressure from Washington. He noted that Nigerian authorities are keen to demonstrate cooperation, despite the fact that “both the perpetrators and the victims in the northwest are overwhelmingly Muslim.”

Nigeria faces intertwined security challenges, including a 15-year jihadist insurgency in the northeast led by Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa, and widespread violence from armed criminal gangs, often called “bandits,” in the northwest and central regions.

The Christmas Day strike marks a significant, public escalation of direct U.S.-Nigeria military action within Nigerian territory and sets a precedent for future coordinated operations against an array of non-state armed groups.