United States President Donald Trump announced that American military forces carried out “powerful and deadly” strikes against Islamic State (IS) militants in northwestern Nigeria on Thursday, following his repeated warnings that the group must cease attacks on Christians in the country.
The Department of Defense confirmed that “multiple ISIS terrorists” were killed during the operation, which was conducted at the request of Nigerian authorities. However, officials released few additional details about the scope or specific targets of the strikes, which reportedly occurred on Christmas Day.
Trump framed the action as a direct response to ongoing violence targeting Christian communities. On his Truth Social platform, he said he had previously warned the militants that if they continued to slaughter Christians, there would be consequences. “May God Bless our Military,” he wrote, adding that the strikes served as a warning and that further action could follow if attacks on Christians persisted. He stressed that the United States is prepared to intervene militarily to protect persecuted populations, portraying the operation as a moral imperative and a demonstration of American resolve.
The US Africa Command corroborated the strike, stating on X that the attack took place in Sokoto state and killed multiple ISIS militants at the request of the Nigerian government. Pentagon official Pete Hegseth also praised the operation, highlighting the military’s readiness and expressing gratitude for the cooperation of Nigerian authorities in carrying out the strikes.
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These strikes are the first US military operations in Nigeria under Trump’s current term, following a period in which he sharply criticized the Nigerian government for what he described as an “existential threat” to Christians amounting to “genocide.” His statements have been welcomed by some observers as support for religious minorities but have also drawn criticism for potentially exacerbating sectarian tensions in Africa’s most populous nation, which has experienced recurring episodes of religious and ethnic violence over the years.
Nigerian officials and independent analysts have rejected the framing of the country’s security challenges in strictly religious terms, arguing that broader socio-economic and political factors drive much of the violence.
Nevertheless, the US administration has emphasized the protection of Christians as a key component of its foreign policy toward Nigeria. Earlier this year, the United States reinstated Nigeria on its list of countries of “particular concern” for religious freedom and restricted visa issuance to Nigerian nationals, signaling a heightened focus on the treatment of religious minorities in its diplomatic and security agenda.