The United States conducted a strike against Islamic State militants in northwest Nigeria at the request of the Nigerian government. President Donald Trump announced this action, highlighting that the group had been targeting and killing mostly Christians in the area. The U. S. military’s Africa Command confirmed that the strike in Sokoto state killed several ISIS militants and was coordinated with Nigerian authorities.
Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar described the operation as a “joint operation” against terrorists, stating it was not focused on any particular religion. He noted that the operation had been planned for a while and involved intelligence from Nigeria. Tuggar suggested that further strikes could occur based on decisions made by the leadership of both nations. This strike followed Trump’s previous warnings about an “existential threat” to Christianity in Nigeria and his threat of military intervention due to ongoing violence against Christian communities.
Nigeria’s foreign ministry stated the strike was part of ongoing security cooperation with the U. S., including intelligence sharing and strategic coordination. U. S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed gratitude to Nigeria for its support and indicated that more actions might follow.
The Nigerian government reported that armed groups target both Muslims and Christians, arguing that claims of persecution against Christians do not reflect the complex security situation. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu called for peace among individuals of different religious backgrounds and pledged to protect all Nigerians from violence. On the same day, Trump announced the strike on Christmas while at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida. The U. S. military recently launched strikes against ISIS targets in Syria as well.
With information from Reuters
