Senior military sources have confirmed that the recent precision air and naval strikes carried out by the United States in coordination with Nigerian forces against terrorist targets in North West Nigeria were successful and met their intended objectives.
Security sources disclosed that the operation was a joint effort in which Nigerian authorities supplied verified targets, while the United States executed the strikes using advanced military assets.
According to one top military source, the operation disrupted terrorist plans and is now being followed up with ground actions to consolidate gains and clear remaining threats in the affected areas.
“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,” the source said.
Intelligence reports made available before the operation indicated a large-scale movement of armed terrorists and bandits into Nigeria through Sahel routes linking Mali and Burkina Faso, with plans to launch coordinated attacks on communities in Sokoto, Zamfara, Niger and Katsina states.
Further findings showed that the foreign-linked ISIS terror cells involved included the Lakurawa and Jenni groups, which were said to have mobilised fighters from Mali and Burkina Faso ahead of the Christmas and New Year festivities.
Information released by the United States Department of Defense revealed that the strike package included the launch of at least one Tomahawk missile from a U.S. naval platform operating in international waters near Ghana.
The Pentagon also confirmed the deployment of long-range unmanned aerial systems to support precision targeting, surveillance and damage assessment, with a focus on reducing the risk of civilian casualties.
Addressing concerns about collateral damage, military sources explained that the operation was based on detailed intelligence, continuous surveillance and strict engagement rules to ensure that only confirmed terrorist fighters and their logistics hubs were hit.
They stressed that the strikes were deliberately selective and aimed solely at neutralising armed elements posing an imminent threat to civilian populations.
The operation, according to security officials, highlights the deepening cooperation between Nigeria and its international partners in confronting transnational terrorism and preventing coordinated attacks against vulnerable communities in the North West.
Military authorities reaffirmed that joint and follow-up operations would continue until the affected areas are fully stabilised and terrorist networks dismantled.
