U.S. President Donald Trump
President Donald Trump Confirms US Airstrikes on Islamic State Targets in Nigeria
President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that US forces carried out deadly airstrikes against Islamic State (IS) militants in northwestern Nigeria, warning that further attacks would follow if the group continues killing Christians.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, the US President said the strikes were conducted on Christmas Day, describing them as “numerous perfect strikes” executed by what he called the Department of War. He did not disclose operational details.
Trump said the action followed earlier warnings to the militants to halt attacks on Christians. “If they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay — and tonight, there was,” he wrote, adding, “May God Bless our Military.”
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US Africa Command (AFRICOM) later confirmed in a statement on X that it carried out a strike at the request of Nigerian authorities, resulting in the killing of “multiple ISIS terrorists.”
US Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth also praised the operation, commending the readiness of US forces and expressing gratitude for the Nigerian government’s cooperation and support.
The operation marks the first known US military strike in Nigeria under President Donald Trump. It follows his recent criticism of Nigeria in October and November, when he described violence against Christians as an “existential threat” and alleged it amounted to “genocide.”
While some groups welcomed the US stance, critics warned that framing Nigeria’s complex security challenges primarily as religious persecution could inflame tensions in Africa’s most populous country, which has a history of sectarian violence.
The Nigerian government and several independent analysts have consistently rejected claims that the country’s insecurity is driven by targeted religious violence, arguing instead that it stems from a mix of insurgency, banditry, and communal conflicts across multiple regions.
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