The United States has carried out a series of air strikes against Islamic State (ISIS) fighters in north-western Nigeria, President Donald Trump said on Thursday, claiming the operation was aimed at militants responsible for killing Christians in the region.
In a post on his Truth Social platform late on Christmas Day, Mr Trump said the attacks were ordered directly by him in his role as commander-in-chief. He described the targets as ISIS militants who, according to the U.S. administration, have been carrying out brutal assaults on civilians, particularly Christians, in parts of northern Nigeria.
“Tonight, at my direction, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS terrorist scum in northwest Nigeria,” Mr Trump wrote, adding that the militants had been “viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians.”
The president said he had previously warned extremist groups to halt the violence, warning that continued attacks would bring severe consequences. He ended his statement by praising U.S. forces and issuing a pointed Christmas message referencing the militants killed in the strikes.
U.S. officials said the operation followed weeks of escalating warnings from Washington, which has accused ISIS-linked groups of sharply increasing attacks on Christian communities in northern Nigeria. The violence has been particularly acute in Sokoto State, near the border with Niger, an area where extremist groups have been active for years.
Senior administration figures have described the recent killings as reaching levels not seen for decades, prompting renewed pressure on Nigeria’s government to improve protections for vulnerable religious communities. In early November, Mr Trump instructed the Pentagon to prepare military options should Nigerian authorities fail to curb the attacks.
The Pentagon, which the administration has referred to as the “Department of War,” released a short unclassified video that appeared to show a missile launch connected to the strikes. In a statement accompanying the footage, officials said the president had been clear that the killing of Christians in Nigeria and elsewhere must stop, warning that further action could follow.
Nigeria’s Foreign Ministry confirmed it had been notified in advance of the U.S. operation. In a statement, the ministry said the strikes were conducted within the framework of existing security cooperation between Nigeria and its international partners, including the United States.
The ministry emphasized that the action was not a unilateral intervention but part of ongoing collaborative efforts to counter terrorist and violent extremist groups operating within the country.
