Nigeria on Friday signalled more strikes against jihadist groups were expected after a Christmas Day bombardment by US forces against militants in the north of the country, which it said was a joint operation with its military. Nigeria’s military said in a statement that its forces, in conjunction with the United States “conducted precision strike operations against identified foreign ISIS-linked elements” in northwest Nigeria. Residents in the far-flung villages of Sokoto state which borders junta-ruled Niger, said they were shocked by the blasts. “We initially thought it was attack by Lakurawa (an armed group linked to ISIS in the Sahel),” he said. Nigeria’s jihadist groups are mostly concentrated in the northeast, but have made inroads into the northwest.

Source: The Guardian December 26, 2025 14:07 UTC