A recent investigative report has shed new light on the significant impact of United States military operations in northwestern Nigeria, revealing substantial losses inflicted on a major terrorist faction.
Operation Details and High Casualty Figures
According to findings published by The New Humanitarian, a series of precision strikes carried out by the US military in Sokoto State in December 2025 resulted in the deaths of 155 fighters belonging to the Lakurawa terrorist group. The report further indicates that approximately 200 additional members of the group were reported missing in the week following the aerial bombardment.
The operation was conducted in collaboration with Nigerian security authorities. Intelligence suggests that Tomahawk missiles were deployed for the attack, launched from a US destroyer stationed in the Gulf of Guinea.
Precision Targeting Across Three Sokoto Districts
The missile strikes focused on three specific local government areas within Sokoto State: Isa, Tangaza, and Tambuwal. Each district presented a distinct security profile. Tangaza was identified as a core operational zone for the Lakurawa group. While Tambuwal was not typically known for organized armed violence, Isa was described as a bandit stronghold largely under the control of the notorious figure Bello Turji.
Specific details regarding the strike on Isa remain unclear, and Turji is widely believed to have survived. However, a Lakurawa camp in Tangaza suffered devastating losses. The report notes that a key commander, Dando Sibu, narrowly escaped death because he had departed the location less than five minutes before the second missile impact.
Tactical Execution and Aftermath
The publication detailed a two-phase attack strategy. The initial missile strike is said to have killed roughly 30 fighters. As surviving members congregated to assess the damage and aid the wounded, a second missile struck the same location, eliminating those who had assembled. The total death toll reached 155, which included 19 fighters who initially sustained injuries but later succumbed.
Beyond the human cost, the group also suffered a major economic blow, losing nearly half of its cattle—a primary source of revenue for the terrorist organization. The disappearance of 200 fighters in the subsequent days points to significant operational disruption and possible desertion.
This operation, which occurred on December 25, 2025, was later confirmed by both the US and Nigerian federal governments. President Donald Trump announced the action against Islamic State terrorists in the region, while Nigerian officials stated they provided support and that the strikes were directed at pre-identified terrorist enclaves.
In the wake of these strikes, credible community leaders reported observing movements of suspected terrorists relocating from the affected zones in small groups, indicating a tactical shift in their operations.
Sokoto State, located in Nigeria's northwest and historically known as the "Seat of the Caliphate," continues to grapple with complex security challenges involving banditry and terrorism, impacting its agricultural and livestock-based economy.
