Military sources have assured that in the recent U.S. Navy precision strikes on terrorist targets in North West Nigeria, “only confirmed terrorist combatants and their logistics hubs were decimated,” stressing that the operation, conducted in joint coordination with the Nigerian military, was highly successful and achieved its objectives.
A source said, “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,”.
Sources disclosed that prior to the operation, actionable intelligence revealed a “massive convergence” of armed terrorists and bandits moving from the Sahel corridors of Mali and Burkina Faso, intending to launch coordinated attacks on communities in Sokoto, Zamfara, Niger, and Katsina states.
The ISIS-linked terror cells targeted included the Lakurawa and Jenni groups, which intelligence reports confirmed had been mobilising members 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 in the international sea corridors near Ghana as part of the coordinated strike package. Advanced long-range unmanned aerial systems (drones) were also deployed alongside naval strike capabilities to ensure precision targeting and minimise collateral damage.
Addressing concerns about civilian casualties, military sources emphasized that the operation was “carefully planned and highly selective,” with surveillance architecture in place to guide the strikes.
The successful operation underscores the growing cooperation between Nigerian and international forces in countering transnational terrorism and preventing large-scale attacks on vulnerable communities in North West Nigeria.
