US strikes in Nigeria's Sokoto state targeted Islamic State militants from the Sahel, along with the local Lakurawa jihadist group and "bandit" gangs, according to a Nigerian presidential spokesman. The strikes, launched overnight Thursday into Friday, aimed to disrupt the presence of ISIS in the Sahel region assisting local groups with supplies and training. Analysts expressed surprise at the location, as Nigeria's main jihadist insurgency is typically in the northeast, though recent research has linked Lakurawa members to the Islamic State Sahel Province.