Trump: US Launches Precision Strikes on ISIS in Nigeria
Trump confirms US strikes killed ISIS militants in Nigeria with US Africa Command support, following attacks on Christians and rising terror violence.
West Palm Beach, Florida — President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States had launched a “powerful and deadly” attack against Islamic State forces in Nigeria, weeks after he had accused the West African nation’s government of failing to stop the persecution of Christians.
In a Christmas Eve post on his social media site, Trump offered no details about the attack or the damage inflicted. But U.S. Africa Command said on X that the strikes were conducted “at the request of Nigerian authorities in Sokoto State” and that “several ISIS terrorists” were killed.
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander-in-Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly attack against ISIS terrorist thugs in Northwest Nigeria, who were primarily targeting and brutally murdering innocent Christians, something not seen in many years, even centuries!” Trump wrote.
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A Defense Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details that have not been made public, said the U.S. conducted the strikes in conjunction with Nigeria, and they were approved by that country’s government.
Nigeria’s Foreign Ministry said the cooperation included intelligence sharing and strategic coordination, which was “in line with international law, mutual respect for sovereignty, and shared commitments to regional and global security.”
“Terrorist violence in any form, whether directed against Christians, Muslims, or other communities, is an affront to Nigeria’s values and to international peace and security,” the ministry said in a statement.
The Nigerian government had previously responded to Trump’s criticisms by saying that people of many faiths, not just Christians, have been victims of attacks by extremist groups.
Last month, Trump ordered the Pentagon to begin planning for potential military action to try to stop the persecution of Christians in Nigeria. The State Department recently announced it would restrict visas for Nigerians and their family members involved in mass killings and violence against Christians there.
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And the U.S. recently designated Nigeria a “country of particular concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act.
“I previously warned these terrorists that if they didn’t stop killing Christians, they would pay a heavy price, and tonight, that’s exactly what happened,” Trump wrote Thursday night. He said U.S. defense officials had “conducted several precision strikes, as only America can do,” and added that “our country will not allow radical Islamic terrorism to flourish.”
In its X post, U.S. Africa Command wrote that “the lethal strikes against ISIS demonstrate the strength of our military and our commitment to eliminating terrorist threats against Americans at home and abroad.”
Nigeria’s 220 million people are roughly evenly divided between Christians and Muslims. The country has long faced insecurity on multiple fronts, including from extremist groups like Boko Haram, which seeks to establish its radical interpretation of Islamic law and also targets Muslims it deems insufficiently devout.
But attacks in Nigeria often have varied motives. These include religiously motivated attacks targeting both Christians and Muslims, clashes between farmers and herders over dwindling resources, communal rivalries, separatist groups, and ethnic clashes.
The U.S. security presence in Africa has diminished, with military partnerships either scaled back or canceled. Any large-scale military intervention in Nigeria would likely require the U.S. military to draw resources from other parts of the world.
Despite this, Trump has maintained pressure as a series of attacks on schools and churches have occurred in Nigeria, violence that experts and residents say targets both Christians and Muslims. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on X Thursday night: "The President was clear last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria (and elsewhere) must stop."
Hegseth said that U.S. military forces "are always ready, as ISIS found out tonight—on Christmas" and added, "Much more to come... Grateful for the support and cooperation of the Nigerian government," and then concluded with "Merry Christmas!"
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