Military sources have assured that recent United States Navy precision strikes on terrorist targets in North-West Nigeria eliminated only confirmed terrorist combatants and their logistics hubs, stressing that the operation was carefully executed and achieved its objectives.
According to the sources, the airstrikes were carried out in close coordination with the Nigerian military, following intelligence provided by local security agencies. “It was a successful joint operation with the U.S. military. We provided the targets, they conducted the strikes. Right now we are mopping up,” a source said.
The sources disclosed that actionable intelligence had earlier uncovered a massive convergence of armed terrorists and bandits moving through Sahel corridors from Mali and Burkina Faso, with plans to launch coordinated attacks on communities across Sokoto, Zamfara, Niger and Katsina states.
Read Also: FG confirms US airstrikes on terrorists, highlights intelligence cooperation
The intelligence reports identified ISIS-linked terror cells, including the Lakurawa and Jenni groups, which were said to have mobilised fighters from Burkina Faso and Mali to carry out attacks during the Christmas and New Year festivities.
Information released by the Pentagon indicated that at least one Tomahawk missile was launched from a U.S. naval platform operating in international sea corridors near Ghana as part of the coordinated strike package. Advanced long-range unmanned aerial systems were also deployed alongside naval strike assets to ensure precision and limit collateral damage.
Responding to concerns over civilian casualties, the military sources said the operation was meticulously planned and highly selective, with real-time surveillance guiding the strikes to avoid non-combatants.
The operation, the sources added, highlights deepening cooperation between Nigerian forces and international partners in countering transnational terrorism and preventing large-scale attacks on vulnerable communities in North-West Nigeria.
