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President Donald Trump says the United States has carried out “powerful and deadly” airstrikes against Islamic State targets in north-western Nigeria, in what Nigerian officials describe as a joint counter-terrorism operation.
President Donald Trump has announced that the United States launched a “powerful and deadly strike” against the Islamic State (IS) group operating in north-western Nigeria.
In a post on his Truth Social platform late Thursday, Trump described IS militants as “terrorist scum” and accused the group of “targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians.” He said the US military had “executed numerous perfect strikes,” warning that under his leadership, “Radical Islamic Terrorism will not be allowed to prosper.”
The US Africa Command (AFRICOM) later confirmed that the airstrikes were carried out on Thursday in coordination with Nigerian authorities in Sokoto State.
Nigeria Confirms Joint Operation
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, told the BBC that the operation was a joint effort targeting terrorists and was “not related to any particular religion.”
Without naming Islamic State specifically, Tuggar said the operation had been planned “for quite some time” and relied on intelligence provided by Nigerian security agencies. He added that further strikes could follow, depending on decisions taken by the leadership of both countries.
On Friday morning, Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the country remained engaged in “structured security cooperation” with international partners, including the United States, to address the threat of terrorism and violent extremism.
“This collaboration has led to precision airstrikes on terrorist targets in North West Nigeria,” the ministry said in a statement.
US Officials React
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth welcomed Nigeria’s cooperation, saying he was “grateful for Nigerian government support and collaboration,” and ending his message on X with a Christmas greeting.
The US Department of Defense also released an unclassified short video appearing to show a missile launch from a military vessel, believed to be linked to the operation.
Disputed Claims of Religious Targeting
Trump’s comments have reignited debate over claims that Christians are being disproportionately targeted in Nigeria. In recent months, some right-wing groups in the US have alleged that Nigerian Christians are facing genocide.
However, violence monitoring organisations and human rights groups say there is no evidence to support such claims. Nigeria is roughly evenly divided between Christians and Muslims, and analysts note that both communities have suffered heavily from militant attacks.
Jihadist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have killed thousands in north-eastern Nigeria over the past decade. According to data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), most of the victims have been Muslims.
In central Nigeria, frequent clashes between mostly Muslim herders and largely Christian farming communities over land and water resources have also claimed thousands of lives. Rights groups say atrocities have been committed by all sides, with no single religious group disproportionately targeted.
Nigeria Reaffirms Sovereignty
Daniel Bwala, an adviser to President Bola Tinubu, told The Punch newspaper that Nigeria welcomes international assistance in tackling insurgency but stressed that the country remains sovereign and that any military action should be conducted jointly.
President Tinubu has repeatedly insisted that Nigeria upholds religious tolerance, saying the nation’s security challenges affect citizens “across faiths and regions.”
Broader US Military Action
Trump had earlier announced that Nigeria had been designated a “Country of Particular Concern” by the US State Department over alleged violations of religious freedom, a move that could attract sanctions. He claimed “thousands” of Christians had been killed but provided no supporting evidence.
Nigeria responded by reaffirming its commitment to protecting citizens of all faiths and working with international partners to improve security nationwide.
The strikes in Nigeria come days after the US said it carried out a “massive strike” against Islamic State targets in Syria, where US and allied forces hit more than 70 locations across central parts of the country.
