On December 25, 2025, the United States struck two apparent Islamic State camps in northwest Nigeria with Tomahawk missiles. U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) announced that it struck “ISIS terrorists in Nigeria” in collaboration with the Nigerian government.
Q1: Who did the strikes target?
A1: President Trump stated that the attack targeted Islamic State militants in Nigeria’s Sokoto state. President Trump was almost certainly referring to the Islamic State-Sahel Province (ISSP) or Lakurawa, a local group with increasing ties to the Islamic State.
ISSP is an Islamic State group active in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Nigeria. The group grew in strength in 2025 and now commands more fighters, controls more territory, and conducts deadlier attacks than it ever has before. Much of ISSP’s recent gains have come in Niger and Nigeria, where it has increased coordination with other terrorist groups and established an operational presence.
Much of ISSP’s progress in Nigeria over the past year can be attributed to the emerging terrorist group Lakurawa, a local group that has pledged allegiance to ISSP but remains largely independent. As it has expanded its foothold, Lakurawa has built its own forms of local governance and brutally cracked down on those who do not comply with its religious rules.
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