US Airstrikes: Initial Assessment Suggests Multiple Fatalities in Sokoto

• Many fighters had been killed, local official says

Sokoto, Nigeria – A local official in Sokoto State has reported that multiple terrorists were killed following recent US airstrikes targeting militant camps in the region, Starnews NG reports.

The strikes, which occurred shortly after Christmas, were part of a coordinated effort to combat the growing threat of terrorist groups in north-western Nigeria.

In an interview with the BBC on Saturday, Isa Salihu Bashir, a local official from the Tangaza area, confirmed that the airstrikes had successfully hit several Lakurawa terrorist camps. He stated, “Many fighters had been killed, but the death toll is still unclear.”

Similarly, Starnews NG reports that the US military has also indicated that an “initial assessment” suggests multiple fatalities as a result of the operation.

The airstrikes were described by former US President Donald Trump as a strategic move to deliver a “Christmas present” to the terrorists.

In an interview with Politico, Trump remarked, “They were going to do it earlier. And I said, ‘no, let’s give a Christmas present. They didn’t think that was coming, but we hit them hard. Every camp got decimated.”

Following the airstrikes, reports from border patrols on the Niger side indicated that Lakurawa fighters were seen fleeing the targeted areas, suggesting the effectiveness of the operation. The Nigerian government has been engaged in a prolonged battle against a variety of jihadist groups, including Boko Haram and factions linked to the Islamic State, primarily in the north-east.

However, the emergence of the Lakurawa group in north-western Sokoto State has raised new concerns.

Authorities have reported that the Lakurawa group has connections to jihadist networks in Mali and Niger. The group has been known to settle in border communities, recruit young people, and impose strict controls on local populations.

Tangaza itself is comprised of remote villages predominantly inhabited by moderate Muslims.

While the full extent of casualties from the airstrikes remains unconfirmed, the operation marks a significant escalation in the fight against terrorism in Nigeria’s north-western region.

Both local officials and international observers are closely monitoring the aftermath of the US-led military action, Starnews reports.