US Air Strike in Nigeria Explained: Terrorists Targeted, Impact and What Comes Next
- The United States launched Tomahawk missile strikes on December 25, 2025, against suspected Islamic State camps in northwest Nigeria
- President Trump said the operation targeted militants in Sokoto state, linked to the Islamic State-Sahel Province and its local affiliate Lakurawa
- Analysts warned the strikes may only deliver a temporary setback, as jihadist groups in the Sahel continue to expand their reach and destabilise the region
On December 25, 2025, the United States carried out missile strikes against two apparent Islamic State camps in northwest Nigeria.
U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) confirmed that it struck “ISIS terrorists in Nigeria” in collaboration with the Nigerian government.
Source: Getty Images
Target: Islamic state militants in Sokoto
President Trump stated that the attack targeted Islamic State militants in Sokoto state. Analysts noted that he was almost certainly referring to the Islamic State-Sahel Province (ISSP) or Lakurawa, a local group with growing ties to both Islamic State and Al Qaeda factions.
ISSP, active across Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Nigeria, expanded significantly in 2025. The group now commands more fighters, controls more territory, and carries out deadlier attacks than ever before.
Much of its progress in Nigeria has been linked to Lakurawa, a smaller but brutal faction that pledged allegiance to ISSP while maintaining independence. Lakurawa has imposed strict religious rules and violently punished those who resisted.
Why the Trump administration ordered the strikes
President Trump publicly linked the strikes to alleged systematic killings of Christians in Nigeria. Nigerian officials and some analysts disputed this claim, stressing that jihadist groups target all faiths.
AFRICOM Commander General Dagvin Anderson explained that the military’s goal was to “protect Americans and disrupt violent extremist organizations where they are.” The Trump administration has increasingly justified strikes in Africa on the grounds of protecting U.S. interests, citing similar operations in Somalia earlier in 2025.
Nigeria’s violence has multiple drivers. Farmer-herder clashes over scarce resources have led to massacres, while Salafi-jihadist groups have recently infiltrated northwest Nigeria. Muslims have also been victims of indiscriminate attacks. In August 2025, gunmen killed at least 13 people at a mosque in northwest Nigeria. A day before the U.S. strikes, a bomb-wearing terrorist attacked a mosque in Maiduguri, killing five and injuring dozens.
Regional and global threats
Experts have repeatedly noted that Sahel-based jihadist groups focus on local attacks rather than the U.S. homeland. The Defense Intelligence Agency assessed in 2025 that Islamic State and Al Qaeda affiliates in Africa “focus on plotting attacks locally,” though some may expand their ambitions.
ISSP conducted a record number of large-scale attacks across the Sahel in 2025, moving freely across borders and striking closer to Niger’s capital, Niamey. The violence has destabilised governments and opened the door to coups, while Russia has increased its influence by presenting itself as an alternative to Western partners.
AFRICOM warned that “if ISIS and al-Qaeda groups continue their expansion, they will pose a direct threat to the U.S. homeland.” Islamic State ideology continues to inspire attacks worldwide, including incidents in New Orleans and Sydney in recent months.
Limited Impact of the Strikes
Local officials in Sokoto suggested that fighters were killed in the U.S. strikes. However, analysts said the impact would be limited. ISSP is estimated to have between 2,000 and 3,000 fighters, while Lakurawa commands around 200. Both groups are expected to replace any losses quickly.
Isolated strikes are unlikely to reverse Nigeria’s insecurity or significantly weaken ISSP and Lakurawa. The administration may hope that the threat of further attacks will deter militants, but deterrence strategies against terrorist groups remain uncertain.
Source: Facebook
What comes next
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth wrote after the attack that there was “More to come” but did not provide details. Observers suggested that the United States may expand long-range strikes in Nigeria, as it has in Somalia, or consider broader support such as military training and development aid.
Nigeria’s jihadist threat extends beyond ISSP and Lakurawa. The military has been stretched thin fighting Boko Haram, the Islamic State – West Africa Province (ISWAP), and Jama’tu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS). These groups have operated for years in the Lake Chad region and expanded into central and western Nigeria.
Analysts warned that degrading ISSP would be difficult, as the group benefits from safe havens in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, where Western forces have been expelled. Without wider political changes across the Sahel, violence may simply shift from Nigeria to neighbouring states.
Experts concluded that even if Salafi-jihadists were weakened, farmer-herder conflicts would continue to fuel insecurity. A comprehensive approach addressing land scarcity and governance challenges would be more effective, but such measures would resemble nation-building—an approach President Trump has rejected as costly and uncertain.
See video of the explainer below:
What to know about Sokoto terrorists targeted in US missile strikes
Legit.ng earlier reported that on December 25, the United States and Nigeria carried out missile strikes against Islamist terrorists in Sokoto state, marking one of the most significant foreign-enabled military actions on local soil in recent history.
The strikes were ordered by US President Donald Trump and approved by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu. Both governments described the attacks as 'precision strikes' against designated terrorist camps.
Source: Legit.ng
