By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Correspondent
MILITARY ACTION unfolded on December 2025 Christmas night as the United States (US) launched no fewer than 12 Tomahawk missiles against terrorists in Sokoto State, marking a rare foreign strike operation within Nigerian territory.
The missile launches were confirmed by Rep Riley M Moore, the lawmaker representing Virginia’s Second District in the United States Congress, who disclosed the details during an interview with Fox News.
Moore said the operation took place on December 25, 2025, and involved the US military working alongside its Nigerian counterpart.
The operation saw US forces conducting airstrikes in parts of Sokoto State during the night, an action that immediately drew attention both locally and internationally.
The strikes were carried out using Tomahawk missiles, a long-range precision weapon deployed by the United States military and were described as being directed at terrorists operating in the state.
Moore stated that the missile launches were deliberate and coordinated, describing them as a direct response to terrorist activity and added that the action involved cooperation with the Nigerian government and marked the beginning of a broader security effort.
“This year, thanks to President Trump, Radical Islamic Terrorists were on the receiving end of 12 Tomahawk missiles as a present,” Moore said during the interview.
He further described the strikes as successful and linked them to wider security objectives within Nigeria.
“The successful strikes on ISIS, in coordination with the Nigerian government, is just the first step to secure the country and end the slaughter of our brothers and sisters in Christ,” Moore said.
Initial reactions following the Christmas night operation were mixed. Residents of Sokoto State were reported to be panicking in the aftermath of the strikes, as the presence of foreign military action raised concerns across affected communities.
By Friday, some security analysts began questioning the effectiveness of the missile launches and claimed the operation did not achieve significant results against the intended terrorist targets.
According to the analysts, the airstrikes landed in locations they described as safe areas, including farmlands, where there was no recorded history of terrorist hideouts saying that the claims suggested that the missiles may not have struck active terrorist positions.
Despite those assessments, additional details emerged later on Friday night that challenged the initial scepticism.
However, the new information indicated that several terrorists were killed during the joint operation carried out by the US military and the Nigerian army.
