US airstrikes in Nigeria leave questions about targeting and impact

Two weeks after US airstrikes in north-west Nigeria, officials have released limited information and it remains unclear how many members of the Islamist group Lakurawa, if any, were killed.

Two weeks after US airstrikes on Christmas Day in north-west Nigeria, few public details have been released about the operation. US and Nigerian officials described the targets as Islamic State fighters and said the action was coordinated with Nigeria. Independent verification of the strikes' impact is limited and accounts of casualties and displacement differ. Known details: - US Africa Command said its initial assessment was that multiple Isis fighters were killed in the camps. - The operation reportedly targeted Lakurawa, a group Nigeria designated as a terrorist organisation in January 2025. - Neither US nor Nigerian authorities have published detailed casualty figures or conclusive evidence accessible to independent reporters. - Local reports and a researcher cited claims of significant losses and movements of fighters toward Niger, but those claims have not been independently confirmed. Summary: The public record currently offers only a partial account: officials reported a targeted strike on fighters described as linked to Islamic State, while independent confirmation of outcomes is lacking. Undetermined at this time.