US Struck Islamic State Targets in Nigeria After Group Targeted Christians
WEST PALM BEACH: President Donald Trump said Thursday he has launched a “strong and deadly” U.S. offensive against Islamic State forces in Nigeria for weeks, accusing the West African country’s government of failing to rein in the persecution of Christians.
Trump did not provide details or mention the extent of damage caused in his Christmas Eve post on the social media site. However, US Africa Command said in X that the attacks were carried out “in Soboto Province at the request of Nigerian authorities” and that “multiple ISIS terrorists” were killed.
Trump wrote: “Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against the ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, targeting and brutally killing, primarily innocent Christians, at levels not seen in years, even centuries!”
A Defense Department official, who pressed hostilities to discuss details not publicly disclosed, said the United States worked with Nigeria to carry out the attacks and that they were approved by that country’s government.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the cooperation includes intelligence exchange and strategic coordination through means “consistent with international law, mutual respect for sovereignty and common commitments to regional and global security.”
“All forms of terrorist violence, whether against Christians, Muslims or other communities, remain an affront to Nigeria’s values and international peace and security,” the ministry said in a statement. he said.
In response to Trump’s criticism, the Nigerian government had previously made a statement that not only Christians but also people of many faiths were subjected to attacks by extremist groups.
Trump last month instructed the Pentagon to begin planning a possible military operation in Nigeria to stop Christian persecution. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently announced that it would restrict visas for Nigerians and their family members involved in mass killings and violence against Christians here.
And the United States recently designated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act.
“I have previously warned these Terrorists that there would be hell to pay if they did not stop the slaughter of Christians, and tonight it happened,” Trump wrote on Thursday night. He said US defense officials had “conducted countless excellent attacks as only the United States can” and added: “Our country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to thrive.”
“Deadly attacks on ISIS demonstrate the strength of our military and our determination to eliminate terrorist threats to Americans at home and abroad,” U.S. Africa Command wrote in the X post.
Nigeria’s population of 220 million is almost equally divided between Christians and Muslims. The country has long faced insecurity from various fronts, including the extremist group Boko Haram, which has sought to impose its own radical interpretation of Islamic law and has also targeted Muslims it deems not Muslim enough.
But attacks in Nigeria often have different causes. There are religiously motivated ones targeting both Christians and Muslims, conflicts between farmers and herders over dwindling resources, social rivalries, separatist groups and ethnic conflicts.
The United States’ security footprint has diminished in Africa, where military partnerships have been scaled back or canceled. Any military intervention in Nigeria would likely require the withdrawal of U.S. forces from other parts of the world.
Trump kept up the pressure as Nigeria faced a series of violent school and church attacks that experts and residents said targeted both Christians and Muslims.
“The President was clear last month: The killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria (and elsewhere) must end,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on X Thursday night.
Hegseth said U.S. military forces “are always ready, so ISIS found out tonight, on Christmas,” adding, “More to come… I’m grateful for the support and cooperation of the Nigerian government,” before signing off: “Merry Christmas!” he said.
