Trump said the military action was launched 'at my direction as commander in chief' and described it as a 'powerful and deadly strike' targeting Islamic State fighters who he claimed had been attacking and killing 'primarily, innocent Christians' in the region. The president made the announcement in a post on his Truth Social platform following the operation.
The U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) confirmed that the strikes were conducted in Sokoto State and coordinated with Nigerian authorities. According to military officials, the airstrikes killed multiple militants at known ISIS camps. An initial AFRICOM statement that the operation was carried out at Nigeria's request was later removed from social media.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed appreciation for Nigerian cooperation and hinted at further actions, posting, 'More to come…' on social media.
The strikes come after weeks of heightened U.S. concern over violence in Nigeria. In late October, Trump warned that Christianity faced an 'existential threat' in the country and threatened U.S. military action unless attacks against Christian communities stopped. Reuters reports that U.S. military intelligence flights have been conducted over large parts of Nigeria since late November.
The Nigerian government has stressed that armed groups target both Muslims and Christians, rejecting claims that violence is solely religiously motivated, and emphasised that the situation reflects a broader and complex security crisis.
Nevertheless, it confirmed its engagement in security cooperation with the United States, including intelligence sharing and joint efforts to counter militants.
The announcement of the strikes coincided with reports of another violent incident in Nigeria where a suspected suicide bombing at a mosque in the nation's northeast killed at least five people and injured dozens more, highlighting the persistent threat posed by extremist groups in the region.
In a Christmas message earlier in the day, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu called for peace and religious freedom, reaffirming his commitment to protect all citizens from violence regardless of faith.
The U.S. action in Nigeria follows other recent American military operations targeting ISIS affiliates in the Middle East and reflects Trump's continued focus on combating extremist threats abroad.
Rania Umutoni
