Nigerian Troops Overrun Sokoto Terrorist Base Hit by U.S. Tomahawk Missiles
Nine months after the United States bombed a terrorist base in Sokoto State, North West Nigeria, and claimed it had completely destroyed their base, Nigerian troops have engaged in a fresh firefight with terrorists from the deadly Lakaruwa group.
The Joint Task Force North West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, announced on Thursday that they have successfully overrun the notorious Lakaruwa enclave in Waria Forest, located within the Tangaza Local Government Area.
The decisive clearance operation, conducted, is said to have resulted in the neutralisation of several terrorists, the total destruction of their camps, and the recovery of operational weapons and five motorcycles.
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The military operation in Waria Forest carries significant historical weight, as it targets the exact same strategic corridor heavily bombarded by the United States military.
On December 25, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a high-profile cruise missile strike targeting Islamic State-linked Lakurawa camps in northwestern Nigeria. Fired from the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Paul Ignatius positioned in the Gulf of Guinea, roughly a dozen Tomahawk missiles blasted the dense forested areas of Tangaza—specifically focusing on the Bauni and Waria forest axes.
While the U.S. strikes decimated initial camp structures and forced surviving fighters to scatter deeper into the borderlands near Niger, the resilient Lakurawa network gradually attempted to reinfiltrate their old strongholds.
This week’s successful ground assault by Nigerian troops serves as a critical follow-up, with hopes of dismantling the resurgent infrastructure left behind.
According to an official statement released by Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Danja, the Media Information Officer for the Joint Task Force, the breakthrough was achieved by troops of Sector 2.
The military advanced through identified terrorist hideouts spanning Alela, Bilange, and Kandam villages before closing in on the main enclave in Waria Forest. Upon making contact, the troops engaged the Lakurawa fighters in a fierce gun battle.
“During the ensuing firefight, the troops overwhelmed the terrorists with superior firepower, forcing them to abandon their positions and flee deeper into the forest,” Danja stated
