By Kingsley Omonobi
Top military sources have confirmed that the recent U.S. Navy precision strikes against terrorist targets in North West Nigeria, conducted in coordination with the Nigerian military, were highly successful, achieving their objectives.
“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,” a source told Vanguard.
Sources revealed that prior to the operation, actionable intelligence indicated a “massive convergence” of armed terrorists and bandits entering Nigeria from the Sahel corridors of Mali and Burkina Faso. The groups were reportedly planning coordinated attacks on North West communities in Sokoto, Zamfara, Niger, and Katsina states.
The foreign-linked ISIS terror cells targeted in the operation included the Lakurawa and Jenni groups, which intelligence confirmed had been mobilising members from Mali and Burkina Faso to carry out attacks during the Christmas and New Year festivities.
Information released by the Pentagon indicated that at least one tomahawk missile was launched from a U.S. naval platform in the international sea corridors near Ghana as part of the coordinated strike package. In addition, advanced long-range unmanned aerial systems (drones) were deployed to support precision targeting and minimise collateral damage.
When asked about the risk of civilian casualties, sources emphasized that the operation was “carefully planned and highly selective,” with surveillance architecture in place to ensure that only confirmed terrorist combatants and their logistics hubs were engaged and neutralized.
The operation underscores the growing collaboration between Nigerian and international forces in countering transnational terrorism and preventing coordinated attacks against vulnerable communities in North West Nigeria.
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