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Nigeria Launches New Military Operation After Mass Killings in Kwara Villages

Conflicting death tolls highlight limited access to the remote villages.

Overview

  • Armed attackers struck the neighboring communities of Woro and Nuku on Tuesday night, with reported fatalities ranging from at least 75 to about 175 and no claim of responsibility.
  • The presidency announced a new command to lead Operation Escudo de la Sabana and ordered a battalion to the Kaiama area to secure the region and pursue the assailants.
  • Authorities and locals have variously blamed Boko Haram and IS‑linked factions such as Lakurawa, though investigators have not confirmed a perpetrator.
  • Humanitarian access remains constrained, the Red Cross says it has not yet reached the sites, and local footage shows burned homes, bound bodies, looting, and reported abductions.
  • The United States condemned the attacks, confirmed a small advisory team in Nigeria, and previously conducted December airstrikes on IS‑affiliated cells, while police separately reported at least 13 dead in Katsina state.