Nigeria’s Information Minister, Mohammed Idris, confirmed on Friday that the United States’ strikes in northwest Nigeria on Christmas Day involved guided missiles launched from drones.
The US announced the operation against unspecified militants linked to the Islamic State (IS) group on Thursday, though details about specific targets and each country’s exact involvement remain unclear.
“A total of 16 GPS-guided precision munitions were deployed using MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial platforms, successfully neutralising targeted IS elements attempting to penetrate Nigeria from the Sahel corridor,” Idris said in a statement.
President Donald Trump first announced the strikes, prompting concerns over Nigeria’s sovereignty. Idris reassured that the operation had the “full involvement of the Armed Forces of Nigeria” and “explicit approval” from President Bola Tinubu.
Information from the affected areas in northwestern Sokoto State and neighbouring Kwara State has been slow to emerge. Discrepancies in communications between Nigeria and the US have been noted, with Washington reportedly withdrawing from issuing a joint statement with Abuja, according to Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar.
“The strikes were launched from maritime platforms in the Gulf of Guinea, following extensive intelligence, operational planning, and reconnaissance,” Idris said, echoing a video released by Washington showing projectiles fired from a US-flagged navy ship.
He added that debris from the munitions fell in Jabo, Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State, and in Offa, Kwara State, with no civilian casualties reported.
US Used Drone-Launched Missiles in Strikes, Nigeria Says
