Breaking : US Carries Out Airstrikes Targeting Islamic State in Nigeria…See More

Breaking : US Carries Out Airstrikes Targeting Islamic State in Nigeria…See More

The US has launched strikes against militants linked to the Islamic State group (IS) in north-western Nigeria, where militants have sought to establish a foothold.

Camps run by the group in Sokoto state were hit near the border with Niger, the US military said. Casualty numbers are unclear, but both US and Nigerian officials say militants were killed.

US President Donald Trump said the Christmas Day strikes had been “deadly” and labelled the group “terrorist scum”, saying they had been “targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians”.

Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar told the BBC it was a “joint operation” and had “nothing to do with a particular religion”.

Tuggar said the strikes had been planned “for quite some time” using intelligence provided by Nigeria. He also did not rule out further strikes.
Referencing the timing of strikes – which took place late on Thursday – he said they did not have “anything to do with Christmas”.

The US military said an “initial assessment” suggested “multiple” fatalities in Sokoto state.

A local official in the Tangaza area of Sokoto state, Isa Salihu Bashir, told the BBC the strikes had “hit some Lakurawa terrorist camps”. He said many fighters had been killed but the death toll was unclear.

The BBC has been unable to independently confirm casualty figures.

Bashir added that border patrols on the Niger side reported seeing Lakurawa fighters fleeing the targeted areas.

The Nigerian government has long been fighting an array of jihadist groups, including Boko Haram and IS-linked factions, but largely in the north-east. But in recent years a smaller group – known locally as Lakurawa – has sought to establish a base in north-western Sokoto state.