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A U.S. military strike was carried out in northwest Nigeria at Nigeria’s request, according to President Donald Trump and the U.S. military, claiming the target group has been assaulting Christians in the area.
“Tonight, under my orders as Commander-in-Chief, the United States launched a strong operation against ISIS (Daesh) terrorists in northwest Nigeria, who have been viciously attacking and killing mostly innocent Christians—a level of violence not seen for many years, even centuries,” Trump announced on Truth Social.
Nigeria’s foreign ministry stated the airstrikes were part of ongoing security cooperation with the U.S., involving intelligence sharing and coordinated efforts to eliminate militant groups.
“This precision bombing targeted terrorist positions in Nigeria’s northwest,” the ministry said on X.
A Pentagon video showed at least one missile being launched from a naval vessel.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed gratitude to Nigeria for their support and added, “There’s more to come…”
Nigeria’s government has acknowledged that militant groups threaten both Muslims and Christians. The U.S. claims the persecution of Christians oversimplifies the complex security environment and overlooks Nigeria’s efforts to uphold religious freedom. Despite these tensions, Nigeria has agreed to collaborate with the U.S. to strengthen its military against militants.
Nigeria’s population largely consists of Muslims in the north and Christians in the south.
Earlier on Thursday, police reported that a suspected suicide bomber killed at least five people and wounded 35 more in Nigeria’s northeast, another region plagued by militant activity.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu issued a Christmas message on X, calling for peace, especially among different religious groups. He affirmed his commitment to protecting religious freedoms and safeguarding all Nigerians from violence.
Trump posted his remarks about the strike on Christmas Day while at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, where he’s spending the holiday. He made no public appearances that day and was last seen traveling with his team on Wednesday night.
Last week, the U.S. military launched large-scale strikes against dozens of Daesh targets in Syria, responding to a suspected attack on U.S. personnel in the region, a move Trump endorsed.
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