Christmas Day airstrikes in northwest Nigeria targeted militants connected to the Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP), a top US Africa Command official has said. Lieutenant General John Brennan told AFP the operations hit areas used as staging points by groups operating across the Sahel, based on intelligence from Nigerian authorities.

“The most recent information we received from the Nigerians was it was ISIS Sahel-related,” Brennan said on the sidelines of a US-Nigeria security meeting. Analysts have expressed concern over ISSP’s potential spread from the Sahel into coastal West African countries, including Nigeria.

President Donald Trump confirmed the strikes, describing them as “powerful and deadly” and suggesting he ordered the operation as a “Christmas present,” a claim that contrasts with Nigerian government statements. Nigerian officials described the operation as a “joint effort” with prior planning and intelligence provided by the country.

Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar said the strikes were not linked to Christmas or any religious observance and emphasised that the operation had the “full involvement of the armed forces of Nigeria.” Some missile debris reportedly landed in the villages of Jabo in Sokoto State and Offa in Kwara State, but no civilian casualties were reported.
Local residents in Jabo described seeing a fireball streak across the sky on the night of the strikes, with some debris landing in fields.

“We live peacefully, and there is no conflict between us and Christians,” said eyewitness Umar Jabo. Other residents said they had seen no evidence of casualties among militants.
The strikes targeted camps operated by a smaller group locally known as Lakurawa, which Nigerian authorities say is linked to jihadist networks in Mali and Niger.

The group has reportedly settled in border communities, recruited youths, and imposed strict controls over local populations. Residents in Tangaza, the area where most camps were located, described the group as having restricted everyday activities and enforced harsh punishments.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth thanked Nigeria for its cooperation in the operation, while the Pentagon released footage appearing to show a missile launch from a vessel in the Gulf of Guinea. US officials have said assessments of the strike are ongoing, and further operations may be possible with Nigerian collaboration.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has faced jihadist violence for more than a decade, particularly in the northeast from Boko Haram and IS-linked factions. Recent reports suggest that militants in northwest states are seeking to establish new bases, a shift that has prompted both local and international responses.

Residents near the strike sites have expressed concern and caution. “I’m hopeful and pray to God this doesn’t happen again,” said Mohammed Abubakar, a herder from Zamfara State who visited Jabo after the strikes. Others noted that while militants may have fled, the operation’s impact on farmland and livestock has already been felt.