Military airstrikes carried out by the United States in December 2025 killed no fewer than 155 Lakurawa terrorists in parts of Sokoto State.
According to a report by The New Humanitarian, about 200 additional Lakurawa fighters were declared missing in the week following the operation.
The publication disclosed that the strikes were conducted in collaboration with Nigerian authorities and involved Tomahawk missiles launched from a United States Navy destroyer positioned in the Gulf of Guinea.
The missiles reportedly targeted three local government areas – Isa, Tangaza and Tambuwal – although only Tangaza is widely recognised as a core operational base of the Lakurawa group.
While Tambuwal is not generally associated with organised armed violence, Isa is known as a bandit stronghold largely controlled by Bello Turji. However, details of the strike on Isa remain unclear, and Turji is believed to have survived the operation.
The report said a Lakurawa camp in Tangaza suffered the heaviest losses, following what appeared to be a two-stage missile strike.
The first missile reportedly killed about 30 fighters. As surviving members regrouped to assess the damage and assist the wounded, a second missile struck the location, killing those who had gathered.
In total, an estimated 155 Lakurawa fighters were said to have been killed, including 19 who were initially injured but later died from their wounds.
A key Lakurawa commander, Dando Sibu, was reported to have survived the attack after leaving the area less than five minutes before the second missile strike.
In the aftermath, about 200 fighters were reported missing, while the group was also said to have lost nearly half of its cattle – a major source of its revenue.
Despite the losses, the Lakurawa reportedly carried out a major retaliatory attack on Birnin Yauri in Kebbi State on December 31, 2025.
The raid, which lasted several hours, reportedly left at least 21 civilians dead, with nine of the victims said to have been beheaded.
The report noted that the US operation focused solely on the Lakurawa group and did not target other jihadist organisations operating in Nigeria, including Boko Haram and the al-Qaeda-linked Ansaru.