US Airstrikes Kill 155 Lakurawa Terrorists in Sokoto, Report Says

US Airstrikes Kill 155 Lakurawa Terrorists in Sokoto, Report Says

At least 155 Lakurawa terrorists were killed during US military airstrikes carried out in Sokoto State in December 2025, according to a report by The New Humanitarian.

The report said the operation, conducted in collaboration with Nigerian authorities, also left about 200 Lakurawa fighters missing in the days following the strikes, significantly weakening the armed group.

The attacks were believed to have involved Tomahawk missiles launched from a US Navy destroyer stationed in the Gulf of Guinea. The missiles reportedly struck three local government areas in Sokoto — Isa, Tangaza, and Tambuwal.

Of the three locations, Tangaza is widely recognised as a stronghold of Lakurawa, where a major camp was said to have suffered heavy casualties. Isa, while targeted, is largely considered a bandit enclave controlled by notorious warlord Bello Turji, who is believed to have survived the strike. Tambuwal, by contrast, is not commonly linked to organised armed violence.

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According to The New Humanitarian, the operation involved two separate missile strikes. The first attack reportedly killed about 30 Lakurawa fighters. As survivors gathered to assess the damage and assist the wounded, a second missile hit the same location, inflicting further casualties.

In total, the report estimated that 155 Lakurawa members were killed, including 19 fighters who were initially injured but later died from their wounds. A senior commander, Dando Sibu, reportedly escaped death after leaving the site less than five minutes before the second missile strike.

The report further claimed that nearly half of Lakurawa’s cattle, a critical source of funding for the group, were lost during the operation, compounding the impact of the attack.

Despite the losses, the group reportedly launched a retaliatory assault on Birnin Yauri in Kebbi State on 31 December 2025. The hours-long attack left at least 21 civilians dead, with nine victims reportedly beheaded, underscoring the group’s continued capacity for violence.

The report noted that the US airstrikes specifically targeted Lakurawa, leaving other extremist groups in the region untouched, including Boko Haram and the al-Qaeda-linked Ansaru.

US Airstrikes Kill 155 Lakurawa Terrorists in Sokoto, Report Says