U.S. Christmas-night missiles leave debris and fear in Sokoto town

Debris from a missile landed near a round well and burned corn stalks in Jabo, a farming town in Sokoto State, after strikes ordered by President Trump on Christmas night, residents and officials said. Three herders who traveled to see the damage walked the lip of a shallow crater where parts of a Tomahawk missile struck and then exploded, one of several strikes Mr.

Trump said were aimed at Islamic State–linked terrorists he has accused of killing Christians. Sokoto State, like other parts of northwest Nigeria, has been troubled by violence including cattle rustling and kidnappings, and residents said some missiles landed on farmland and debris damaged a handful of unoccupied buildings.

Nigerian officials said debris fell in Jabo accidentally, and the U.S. military said the missiles hit targets in the Tangaza forest and that assessments were ongoing. Amid the uncertainty, some locals expressed fear the strikes signaled a broader targeting of Muslims; “Some of us think this is part of his agenda to protect Christians,” said Abubakar Mohammed Jabo.

The White House did not respond to questions about the targeting of Muslims, the article said. Two U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the Sokoto strikes were a one-time event and that the Navy destroyer that launched the missiles had moved out of the Gulf of Guinea, while U.S.

Key Topics

World, Donald Trump, Jabo, Sokoto State, Tomahawk Missile, Lakurawa