The United States has carried out air strikes against ISIS-linked terrorists in northwest Nigeria on Christmas Day.
President Donald Trump, who announced the operation via his Truth Social account on Thursday, said the strikes targeted terrorists responsible for attacks on Christian communities in the region.
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!” Trump wrote.
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He added, “I have previously warned these terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was. The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing.
“Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper. May God Bless our Military, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues.”
Moments after Trump’s announcement, the Nigerian government confirmed the strikes in a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, shared by the presidency.
It described the operation as part of ongoing security cooperation between Nigeria and the U.S.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria confirms that Nigerian authorities remain engaged in structured security cooperation with international partners, including the United States of America, in addressing the persistent threat of terrorism and violent extremism. This has led to precision hits on terrorist targets in Nigeria by air strikes in the North West,” the ministry said.
The FG added that the cooperation was carried out “In line with established international practice and bilateral understandings, this cooperation includes the exchange of intelligence, strategic coordination, and other forms of support consistent with international law, mutual respect for sovereignty, and shared commitments to regional and global security.”
The Nigerian government, however, noted that “all counter-terrorism efforts are guided by the primacy of protecting civilian lives, safeguarding national unity, and upholding the rights and dignity of all citizens, irrespective of faith or ethnicity.
“Terrorist violence in any form whether directed at Christians, Muslims, or other communities remains an affront to Nigeria’s values and to international peace and security.”
It added, “The Federal Government continues to work closely with its partners through established diplomatic and security channels to weaken terrorist networks, disrupt their financing and logistics, and prevent cross-border threats, while strengthening Nigeria’s own security institutions and intelligence capabilities.”
The air strikes came after months of diplomatic tensions between the U.S and Nigeria over security concerns in the country.
According to a Reuters report, the United States has been conducting intelligence-gathering flights over Nigeria since late November using contractor-operated surveillance aircraft based in Ghana.
Flight-tracking data identified the operator as Tenax Aerospace, which is a special mission aircraft provider working with the US military.
The surveillance operations followed Trump’s November 1 directive to the Department of War to prepare for “possible action” against Islamic terrorists in Nigeria.
The directive came after Nigeria was re-designated as a “country of particular concern” by the US over allegations of persecution of Christians.
On November 21, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, met with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to discuss the security situation.
After the meeting, Hegseth said the United States would work “aggressively” with Nigeria to address what he described as the persecution of Christians by jihadist groups.
Weeks later, Congressman Riley Moore said both countries were close to finalizing a “strategic security framework” aimed at tackling terrorism in Nigeria, though no details of the framework were disclosed.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has consistently denied claims that Christians are being specifically targeted and maintained that armed groups attack both Muslims and Christians.
Amid mounting pressure from the U.S., President Bola Tinubu declared a security emergency last month and ordered mass recruitment into the armed forces and police to address the surge in deadly attacks and mass abductions across several states.