Residents of a northwestern Nigerian village struck by debris from a recent US air strike say the Daesh terror group was not present, CNN has reported.
In Jabo, a farming community in Sokoto state’s Tambuwal district, villagers described being startled by a loud explosion and flames in the sky around 10 p.m., moments before a projectile landed in nearby fields, forcing families to flee their homes.
“We couldn’t sleep last night. We’ve never seen anything like this before,” said Suleiman Kagara, a local resident, adding that the village has no history of extremist activity and that Muslims and Christians live side by side.
“In Jabo, we see Christians as our brothers. We don’t have religious conflicts, so we weren’t expecting this,” he said.
Bashar Isah Jabo, a lawmaker representing Tambuwal in the state assembly, described the area as a “peaceful community” with “no known history of Daesh, Lakurawa, or any other terrorist groups.”
He said debris landed about 500 meters from the village’s only primary health centre, causing panic but no casualties.
President Donald Trump announced the “powerful and deadly” strike late on Thursday, claiming US forces had targeted Daesh terrorists in the region.
US Africa Command said the operation neutralised multiple Daesh members.
Nigeria’s Information Ministry later confirmed that, in coordination with the US, Nigerian forces conducted “precision strike operations” targeting Daesh hideouts in forests in the Tangaza district of Sokoto.
The ministry said debris from expended munitions fell in Jabo and another area in Kwara state, but stressed that no civilians were harmed.
Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar said Nigerian President Bola Tinubu approved the operation and that it was aimed at protecting civilians, not targeting any religious group.
