"Two weeks after the US carried out Christmas Day airstrikes in north-west Nigeria on what it described as Islamic State fighters, questions remain over the specific group that was targeted and the operation's impact. In the aftermath of the strikes, Donald Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform that ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians were hit with numerous perfect strikes."
"The operation, coordinated with Nigeria, targeted an Islamist group known as Lakurawa, which extorts the mainly Muslim local population and enforces a strict version of sharia law that includes lashes for listening to music. Very little information has been shared by either the US or Nigeria about the strikes' impact and it is unclear how many Lakurawa fighters, if any, died. The US Africa Command branch of the US military said on 25 December that its initial assessment is that multiple Isis terrorists were killed in the Isis camps."
"Malik Samuel, a researcher with Good Governance Africa, said he had spoken to a Lakurawa member who said about 100 fighters were killed in a forest camp in the Tangaza area of Sokoto state. He said he was told that about 200 were missing, with many of the remaining fighters now trying to cross into Niger. This could not be independently confirmed."
US forces conducted Christmas Day airstrikes in northwest Nigeria in coordination with Nigerian authorities, targeting an Islamist group identified as Lakurawa. Lakurawa is said to extort mainly Muslim locals and enforce a strict version of sharia law, including lashes for listening to music. Official reporting on casualties and damage has been limited; US Africa Command initially assessed that multiple Isis terrorists were killed. A researcher cited a Lakurawa member claiming about 100 killed and 200 missing with fighters fleeing toward Niger, but those figures could not be independently confirmed. Missile debris reportedly fell far south, injuring hotel workers.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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