United States President Donald Trump has announced that American forces carried out what he described as “powerful and deadly” airstrikes against Islamic State (IS) militants in north-western Nigeria.
Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform late Thursday, said the US military executed “numerous perfect strikes” against the group, which he accused of killing civilians, particularly Christians.
He vowed that under his leadership, the United States would not allow “radical Islamic terrorism” to flourish.
US Africa Command (AFRICOM) later confirmed that the operation took place in Sokoto State and was conducted in coordination with Nigerian authorities.
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, told the BBC that the strikes were part of a joint counter-terrorism operation and were not motivated by religion.
“This is a joint operation against terrorists. It has nothing to do with targeting any religious group,” Tuggar said, adding that further action would depend on decisions taken by leaders of both countries.
The US Department of Defense released an unclassified video appearing to show a missile launch from a military vessel, linked to the operation.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also confirmed cooperation with Nigeria, thanking the Nigerian government for its support in a post on X, where he added a Christmas greeting.
On Friday, Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the country remains engaged in “structured security cooperation” with international partners, including the United States, to combat terrorism and violent extremism.
“This collaboration has led to precision airstrikes on terrorist targets in the North West,” the ministry said, stressing that all counter-terrorism efforts are guided by respect for sovereignty, protection of civilian lives and national unity.
While Trump has repeatedly claimed that Christians are being disproportionately targeted in Nigeria, several independent violence-monitoring organisations dispute this assertion.
Groups such as ACLED say available data shows that both Christians and Muslims have been victims of extremist violence, with Muslims accounting for a significant share of those killed.
An adviser to President Bola Tinubu, Daniel Bwala, said Nigeria welcomes international assistance in tackling insurgency but emphasised that any military action must respect Nigeria’s sovereignty and involve coordination with local authorities.
President Tinubu has maintained that Nigeria’s security challenges cut across religious and regional lines, insisting that jihadist groups have attacked people of all faiths.
Militant groups including Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province have waged a violent insurgency in Nigeria for over a decade, killing thousands and displacing millions, particularly in the country’s north-east and parts of the north-west.
