Fresh details have emerged on how terrorists from Mali and Burkina Faso stormed Nigeria in a planned invasion targeting four North West states before being crushed by coordinated U.S.–Nigeria military strikes.
Top military sources confirmed that recent U.S. Navy precision strikes against terrorist positions in North West Nigeria were highly successful, following actionable intelligence that uncovered a massive influx of armed fighters through Sahel routes.
According to the sources, the terrorists, linked to ISIS factions, had crossed into Nigeria from Mali and Burkina Faso and were preparing coordinated attacks on communities in Sokoto, Zamfara, Niger and Katsina states, timed to coincide with the Christmas and New Year festivities.
Confirming the joint operation, a senior military source told Vanguard, “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 foreign-backed terror cells identified as targets included the Lakurawa and Jenni groups, which intelligence reports say had mobilised fighters from across the Sahel to carry out large-scale assaults in Nigeria.
Pentagon sources disclosed that the strike package included at least one Tomahawk missile launched from a U.S. naval platform operating in international waters near Ghana.
Advanced long-range drones were also deployed to guide precision targeting and limit collateral damage.
Addressing concerns about civilian casualties, military sources stressed that the mission was “carefully planned and highly selective,” with layered surveillance ensuring that only confirmed terrorist fighters and logistics hubs were struck.
The operation is a major blow to transnational terror networks and underscores the growing security collaboration between Nigeria and international partners to prevent cross-border attacks and protect vulnerable North West communities.
