By Amuda Dan Sulaiman Fab
One of the locations struck during a United States airstrike in Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State was still emitting smoke hours after the operation, according to video footage obtained from the area.
Confirming the development, the Chairman of Tangaza Local Government Area, Isa Saleh Bashir, said the airstrike targeted bush paths and suspected terrorist camps within the area.
He disclosed this in an interview with the BBC.
According to Bashir, although casualty figures were yet to be ascertained, there were indications that several individuals sustained injuries during the strike.
“We have not received information on the number of people killed, but they are certainly injured,” the local government chairman said.
He further revealed that security forces from the neighbouring Niger Republic, who were on patrol in the area, reported seeing members of the Lakurawa terrorist group fleeing the scene shortly after the airstrike.
The development has heightened security concerns in the border communities of Sokoto State, which have in recent times faced repeated attacks by armed groups operating across Nigeria–Niger border areas.
Residents of Tangaza and surrounding communities were said to be gripped by fear following the strike, as authorities continue to monitor the situation and assess the impact of the operation.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Nigerian government nor the United States authorities had issued an official statement detailing the operation or its outcome.
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