Abuja: Nigeria has identified US attacks on two ISIS-affiliated camps. The Nigerian government revealed that US-backed airstrikes targeted two militant camps linked to the Islamic State (IS) in the Bauni Forest of Sokoto State, in an effort to clear out foreign fighters who had infiltrated from the Sahel region.
According to Thai News Agency, Nigeria's Ministry of Information said in a statement on Friday that the attack, which took place on Thursday, was authorized by President Bola Tinubu and involved the firing of missiles from a naval base in the Gulf of Guinea after thorough intelligence gathering, planning, and reconnaissance.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced via the Truth Social platform on Thursday that U.S. forces had launched an offensive against the Islamic State (ISIS) in northwestern Nigeria at the request of the Nigerian government. He stated that ISIS was targeting Christians in the region. Trump also described the operation as a "precise and perfect" strike targeting multiple locations and warned that further operations would follow.
Meanwhile, a statement from the Nigerian government added that 16 GPS-guided bombs were used, launched from an MQ-9 Reaper drone, successfully killing ISIS members attempting to infiltrate from the Sahel Economic Corridor. Intelligence indicates that the camp was being used by foreign ISIS groups in cooperation with local networks to plan large-scale attacks in Nigeria. There were no reports of civilian casualties, although debris from the attack landed in two towns in Sokoto and Kwara states.
This operation is a rare joint effort between Nigeria and the United States, demonstrating strengthening security cooperation amid the expanding violence from ISIS southward from the Sahel region. Although Nigeria has been fighting insurgents for more than a decade, the emergence of foreign fighters linked to ISIS poses a heightened threat. The Nigerian government reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the lives and property of its citizens and pledged to take decisive action against transnational extremist networks.