KATHMANDU: The United States launched airstrikes against Islamic State (IS) group targets in northwestern Nigeria on Christmas Day, marking Washington’s first direct military action in the country under President Donald Trump.
President Trump said US forces carried out “powerful and deadly” strikes on Thursday, weeks after he warned that continued attacks on Christians in Nigeria would trigger a military response.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the strikes early Friday, describing them as “precision hits on terrorist targets.” The US Department of Defense’s Africa Command said the operation, conducted in Sokoto state at the request of Nigerian authorities, killed “multiple ISIS terrorists.” No official casualty figures were disclosed.
Trump, writing on his Truth Social platform, linked the operation directly to violence against Christians. “I previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay,” he wrote. “MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists.”
US defense officials later released video footage showing what appeared to be the nighttime launch of a missile from a US naval vessel.
The strike follows months of sharp rhetoric from Trump, who in October and November accused Nigeria of allowing what he described as an “existential threat” to Christians. His remarks were welcomed by some groups but criticized by others for potentially inflaming religious tensions in Africa’s most populous country.
Nigeria’s government and independent analysts have repeatedly rejected framing the country’s insecurity as religious persecution, arguing that violence is driven by multiple factors, including terrorism, banditry, and criminal networks.
In a statement, Nigeria’s foreign ministry said the country remains engaged in “structured security cooperation” with international partners, including the United States, to address terrorism and violent extremism. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he was “grateful for Nigerian government support and cooperation.”
Nigeria was earlier placed back on the US list of countries of “particular concern” for religious freedom, and Washington has imposed visa restrictions on Nigerian nationals. Trump has also warned that US aid could be halted if killings continue.
Nigeria has faced jihadist violence in its northeast for more than 15 years, primarily from Boko Haram and its splinter groups, leaving over 40,000 people dead and displacing millions. Meanwhile, criminal gangs known as bandits have intensified attacks across the northwest and central regions, further deepening the country’s security crisis. (AFP)
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