According to a publication by Premium Times dated December 26, 2025, the Chairman of Tangaza Local Government Area in Sokoto State, Isa Salihu, has said the recent United States airstrike in the area targeted a known terrorist hub along the Nigeria–Niger Republic border.
Speaking in a telephone interview, Mr Salihu explained that the affected location serves as a major transit route for insurgents entering Nigeria from neighbouring Niger, adding that the area has long been associated with terrorist activities. However, he noted that casualty figures could not yet be confirmed pending a formal security briefing.
“That area serves as their primary route when entering from the Niger Republic. They frequent these zones and have established camps in the dense forests near the border,” he said.
The precision airstrike reportedly targeted key terrorist routes and hideouts along the border axis in Sokoto State. While expressing optimism about the success of the operation, the council chairman urged caution, stressing the need to verify the impact of the strike and confirm whether there were any civilian casualties.
“We cannot yet confirm if targets were killed. We are awaiting detailed security reports to determine the impact and to verify if there were any civilian casualties,” Salihu stated.
He added that there was no doubt about the presence of terrorist groups in the targeted areas, noting that residents frequently report sightings of armed groups hiding in rocky terrains along the border. According to him, the explosions caused panic in nearby communities, with residents praying that no civilians were harmed.
Residents of Tangaza and neighbouring Tambuwal Local Government Area also confirmed hearing loud explosions, while a viral video from Jabo community in Tambuwal showed locals recovering debris from one of the blast sites.
In Tangaza, residents said the strikes focused on locations believed to be hideouts of the “Lakurawa” group, a terrorist faction operating in the area. The security situation in Tangaza and surrounding communities has deteriorated in recent years due to persistent attacks and cross-border movements by armed groups.
Tangaza’s proximity to the Niger Republic has made it a strategic gateway for terrorists, who reportedly retreat across the border when under pressure from Nigerian forces or use the porous frontier to smuggle weapons. The Lakurawa group, initially made up of foreign herders from Sahelian countries, has evolved into an organised terrorist network, imposing taxes on locals and enforcing its own form of justice, often clashing with traditional authorities.
Meanwhile, a US military official told The New York Times that the operation involved more than a dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from a Navy ship in the Gulf of Guinea, striking two ISIS camps in Sokoto State. The official said the operation was carried out in coordination with the Nigerian military.
US Africa Command also confirmed that its initial assessment indicated that multiple ISIS terrorists were killed during the strikes, which were conducted at the request of Nigerian authorities. Nigeria’s foreign minister later disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the operation and that Nigerian intelligence support contributed to its execution.
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