Nigeria Confirms U.S. Airstrikes in Joint Offensive Against ISWAP Cells in North-West
The Nigerian Government has confirmed that recent United States airstrikes on terrorist positions in the North-West were carried out under a joint counter-terrorism framework aimed at dismantling the growing presence of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) outside its traditional North-East strongholds.
The confirmation followed reports of coordinated aerial bombardments on suspected ISWAP hideouts located within forested areas spanning parts of Kaduna, Zamfara and Niger States, regions increasingly plagued by terrorist and bandit activity.
Director of Defence Media Operations at Defence Headquarters, Major-General Edward Buba, said the strikes were executed based on credible, real-time intelligence shared between Nigerian Security Agencies and United States Military Partners.
According to him, the targets included logistics camps, weapons storage facilities and operational meeting points used by ISWAP commanders seeking to expand the group’s footprint in the North-West.
“The Nigerian Armed Forces, in collaboration with strategic partners, are intensifying precision operations against terrorist networks.
These airstrikes were deliberate, intelligence-driven and aimed at degrading ISWAP’s operational capability,” Buba said.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, also confirmed the operation, describing it as part of Nigeria’s long-standing security cooperation with the United States and other allies.
“Nigeria retains full sovereignty over its security operations.
International partnerships are leveraged strictly to enhance our ability to protect citizens and reclaim territories threatened by terrorism,” Idris stated.
While casualty figures were not officially disclosed, Military sources said several high-value terrorist targets were neutralised, with significant damage inflicted on terrorist infrastructure. Post-strike battle damage assessments are ongoing.
On the U.S. side, officials of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) acknowledged providing support to partner Nations combating terrorism across the Sahel and West Africa but declined to comment on specific operational details.
Security experts warn that ISWAP’s expansion into the North-West represents a dangerous fusion of jihadist extremism and organised banditry, posing new challenges to Nigeria’s internal security architecture.
Residents in nearby communities reported hearing multiple explosions during the overnight operation, while increased Military surveillance has been observed across key forest routes following the strikes.
The Nigerian Government reaffirmed its commitment to sustained Military pressure, intelligence-led operations and International collaboration to ensure terrorist groups are denied safe havens anywhere within the Country.
