The US has launched powerful and deadly strikes against militants linked to the Islamic State group (IS) in north-western Nigeria, where militants have sought to establish a foothold, President Donald Trump said.
Trump told Politico he ordered the 25 December strikes as a Christmas present - contradicting a statement by Nigerian officials.
Camps run by the group in Sokoto state were hit near the border with Niger, the US military said. Casualty numbers are unclear, but both US and Nigerian officials say militants were killed.
Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar told the BBC it was a joint operation and had nothing to do with a particular religion.
Tuggar said the strikes had been planned for quite some time using intelligence provided by Nigeria. He did not rule out further strikes.
Referring to the timing of strikes - which took place late on Thursday - he said they did not have anything to do with Christmas.
But Trump told Politico otherwise in an interview. They were going to do it earlier, Trump said of the airstrikes. And I said, 'nope, let's give a Christmas present.' He emphasized the strikes' effectiveness, claiming all targeted camps were decimated.
The US military stated an initial assessment suggested multiple fatalities in Sokoto state. A local official in Tangaza area, Isa Salihu Bashir, reported that the strikes killed many fighters but exact numbers remained unverified.
Bashir noted that border patrols on the Niger side reported witnessing Lakurawa fighters fleeing the targeted areas.
The Nigerian government has long been grappling with jihadist groups, including Boko Haram and IS-linked factions. In recent years, a smaller group known as Lakurawa has attempted to consolidate power in north-western Sokoto state, posing challenges to local stability.
The Nigerian information ministry later confirmed that precision strike operations were carried out with the explicit approval of President Bola Tinubu and involved the Nigerian Armed Forces.
Although no civilian casualties were reported, munitions debris impacted two communities in Sokoto and Kwara states, raising concerns about collateral damage. Eyewitness accounts confirmed incidents of debris falling, stating there was no local conflict involving IS prior to the strikes.
The Trump administration has previously criticized the Nigerian government for perceived inaction against jihadist attacks and declared Nigeria a country of particular concern regarding religious freedom violations.
This latest military intervention represents the second major US action against IS in the past few weeks, following prior strikes in Syria in response to recent jihadist aggression.
