US Launches Christmas Day Airstrikes on Militant Targets in Nigeria

On Christmas Day, December 25, 2025, the United States military launched a series of precision airstrikes in northwest Nigeria, targeting Islamic State affiliates and other militant groups. The operation, authorized by President Donald Trump and executed by U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), involved Tomahawk missiles fired from a U.S. Navy warship in the Gulf of Guinea and munitions from MQ-9 Reaper drones. The strikes specifically targeted camps in Sokoto State, including the Bauni forest in Tangaza, which intelligence identified as strongholds for the Islamic State Sahel Province and the Lakurawa group. President Trump announced the mission on social media, stating the "powerful and deadly" strikes were a direct response to the "vicious killing" of Christians in the region, a rationale echoed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth who warned that "more is to come."

The Nigerian government confirmed the operation was a joint effort, resulting from weeks of high-level intelligence sharing and strategic coordination between Abuja and Washington. Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar described the event as a "new phase" in the country's long-running conflict with terror groups, noting that Nigerian President Bola Tinubu had given the green light for the intervention. While officials reported that multiple militants were killed and no civilian casualties occurred, residents in nearby villages like Jabo and Offa reported being shaken by the intensity of the explosions, which lit up the night sky. Security analysts view the strikes as a significant escalation in U.S. involvement in West Africa's security crisis, marking a shift from advisory roles to direct combat engagement in the region.