From Our Findings, Over 16 Missiles Were Fired At The Terrorists’ Hideouts And They Were Caught-Army

According to a report by the Punch on Sunday, January 4, 2026, residents in Sokoto State have reported that U.S. airstrikes conducted on Christmas Eve successfully targeted and dismantled terrorist camps in the Lakurawa forest area. Villagers near Tangaza Local Government Area described witnessing missile strikes from a distance, creating scenes of panic and leading to a mass exodus of survivors from the enclaves.

A top security source provided details on the scale of the operation. The intelligence officer stated, “From our findings, over 16 missiles were fired at the terrorists’ hideouts and they were caught unawares.” The source attributed the lack of immediate photographic evidence to the remote, forested location of the camps and the caution exercised by troops who avoided potential ambush sites in the aftermath.

Local accounts from residents of villages like Kawuri-Kandam, Malgam, and Kahuri corroborate the strikes’ impact. They reported hearing multiple explosions, seeing distant fires, and observing groups of fighters fleeing the area on motorcycles. Many expressed relief, noting that the previously persistent threat from the Lakurawa terrorist group has significantly diminished, with no signs of life currently detected at the former camp sites.

The operation, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump as a strike against Islamic State militants targeting Christians in northwestern Nigeria, had been shrouded in some controversy. Initial reports focused on errant missiles that hit a farmland in Sokoto’s Jabo district and buildings in Offa, Kwara State, causing property damage and injuries but no fatalities, leading to questions about the mission’s accuracy and success.

For residents who endured years of terror, including extortion, violence, and the suppression of their livelihoods by the militants, the airstrikes represent a potential turning point. Individuals like a traditional herbalist, whose animals were killed by the group, and a trader whose village was sacked, shared stories of hardship and expressed hope for sustained peace, crediting both the foreign intervention and increased Nigerian military patrols for the improved security situation.

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