Donald Trump has announced that the US has carried out airstrikes against Islamic State militants in northwest Nigeria on Christmas Day, claiming that the militant group had been specifically targeting Christians in the region.
In a post on Truth Social, the US president stated: “Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even centuries!”
“I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was. The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing.”
The U.S. military’s Africa Command stated that the strike was carried out in Sokoto State at the request of the Nigerian authorities and resulted in the deaths of multiple ISIS militants.
Reuters reported on Monday that the U.S. had been conducting intelligence-gathering flights over large parts of Nigeria since late November.
Nigeria’s foreign ministry indicated that the strikes were executed as part of ongoing security cooperation with the United States, involving intelligence sharing and strategic coordination to target militant groups. “This has led to precision hits on terrorist targets in Nigeria by air strikes in the North West,” the ministry said in a post on X.
A video posted by the Pentagon showed at least one projectile launching from a warship. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also expressed gratitude to the Nigerian government for its support and cooperation, adding: “More to come…”
Trump has previously stated that he would initiate a “guns-a-blazing” US military intervention in Nigeria, asserting that the country’s government has been inadequate in its efforts to prevent attacks on Christians by Islamist groups who have repeatedly kidnapped and killed Christians there.
Nigeria is officially a secular country, but its population is almost evenly divided between Muslims (53 per cent) and Christians (45 per cent). Violence against Christians has garnered significant international attention, particularly among the religious right in America, and is often framed as religious persecution.
However, most analysts contend that the situation is more complex and has deep historical roots in the region. In some areas of the country, clashes between itinerant Muslim herders and predominantly Christian farming communities are rooted in competition over land and water.
Priests and pastors have increasingly been kidnapped for ransom, but some analysts suggest that this may be a trend driven by criminal incentives rather than religious discrimination. – Guardian
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