The Nigerian Army has confirmed that recent US military-led airstrikes targeting Lakurawa insurgents in Sokoto State recorded significant operational success, countering claims that the bombardment missed its intended targets.
The air operation, carried out last Thursday, involved the launch of at least twelve Tomahawk missiles by United States forces against suspected Lakurawa hideouts in Tangaza Local Government Area, according to military sources.
Public debate had followed the strikes, with some security analysts questioning their effectiveness and suggesting that the missiles landed in unoccupied areas, raising doubts about any real impact on the insurgent group.
However, the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, said intelligence assessments confirmed that multiple terrorist camps were successfully destroyed during the operation.
She explained that troops of the Combat Intelligence Battalion VII acted on credible intelligence indicating insurgent movements along the Kaurau axis, leading to coordinated strikes with US Africa Command forces on December 25.
The targeted locations included camps within the Bauni Forest, near the communities of Waria and Alkassim, areas believed to serve as strategic bases for the Lakurawa group’s operations in north-west Nigeria.
According to the Army, follow-up patrols conducted on December 26 confirmed extensive damage to the camps, with the destruction significantly degrading the terrorists’ operational capacity and disrupting their ability to launch attacks in the region.
