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No, viral video does NOT show U.S. military strike on terrorist targets in Sokoto

Nurudeen Akewushola
Nurudeen Akewushola
Reading Time: 2 min.
screenshot of the viral post purportedly depicting airstrike in Sokoto

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FOLLOWING the recent launch of a military strike by the United States on terrorists in Sokoto, a grey-coloured video showing a missile strike began circulating widely on social media.

The video emerged after a post by the U.S. President Donald Trump on his Truth Social platform announcing that he had directed the U.S. military to strike ISIS targets in Nigeria.

The statement sparked widespread reactions online, with users sharing images and videos purportedly showing the strike.

Amid this heightened attention, several X users shared a video showing a missile hitting targets described in the audio as “greenhouses,” presenting it as footage of the reported U.S. operation in Nigeria.

On December 27, an X user, @Gen_Buhar, posted the video with the caption claiming that U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), in coordination with Nigerian authorities, conducted airstrikes on ISIS targets in Sokoto State.

The account posted: “Full Footage of the airstrike from the combine US military/NAF  on the iswap and bokoharam hideout in Sokoto on the 24th/12 / 2025.”

The post has generated over 400 reposts and more than 1,000 likes as of December 29, 2025.

CLAIM

Video shows a U.S. missile or drone strike carried out against ISIS militants in north-west Nigeria on Christmas Day.

screenshot of the viral post purportedly depicting airstrike in Sokoto

THE FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING.

First, The FactCheckHub discovered that the video was recycled by an Asian X account, RedlineGeoX, to illustrate the incident before various Nigerian X accounts reshared it. However, the account clarified that the video is “for illustrative purposes only and does not depict the actual event.”

A reverse image search conducted on keyframes from the video traced the footage to at least April 2019. The video was found on Chomikuj.pl, a Polish file-hosting website, where it was linked to Afghanistan.

The on-screen text that precedes the video states that coalition ground forces came under small-arms fire, heavy machine-gun fire, and rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attacks from enemy fighters positioned inside nearby buildings. In response, Apache helicopters, advanced military attack helicopters used primarily by the United States Army and some allied forces, were deployed to provide close air support.

The helicopters first targeted one structure using a Hellfire missile, a precision-guided weapon commonly used to neutralise fortified positions. When hostile fire continued from additional buildings, the Apaches struck a second structure with another Hellfire missile.

The note further explains that the engagement escalated as enemy fire persisted, prompting the helicopters to use multiple weapons systems, including Hellfire missiles, unguided rockets, and 30mm cannon rounds. This layered response is typical of U.S. military combat operations where aircraft suppress hostile positions to protect ground troops.

Crucially, the video is clearly dated January 5, 2007, references Task Force Marmo, and carries a LiveLeak hosting watermark, all of which indicate it is archival combat footage from a Middle East conflict, not evidence of a recent airstrike in Nigeria.

VERDICT

The claim that the video shows U.S. airstrikes on ISIS targets in north-west Nigeria is MISLEADING. The footage is old, originated outside Nigeria, and has been falsely linked to recent security developments.

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Nurudeen Akewushola is a fact-checker with FactCheckHub. He has authored several fact checks which have contributed to the fight against information disorder. You can reach him via nyahaya@icirnigeria.org and @NurudeenAkewus1 via Twitter.

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