Illustrative image. (The U.S. Central Command)
President Donald Trump announced on December 25 that the United States military conducted “powerful and deadly” strikes against ISIS targets in northwestern Nigeria, well over a month after warning the West African nation over the issue.
“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 on his Truth Social network.
“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 president continued.
“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,” he added.
The U.S. military’s Africa Command (AFRICOM) confirmed in a post on X that it launched the strikes “at the request of Nigerian authorities” in Sokoto State, “killing multiple ISIS terrorists.”
“Lethal strikes against ISIS demonstrate the strength of our military and our commitment to eliminating terrorist threats against Americans at home and abroad,” it added.
AFRICOM later released footage showing the launch of a single Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles from an unspecified U.S. Navy warship.
Commenting on AFRICOM strikes, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hinted that this was not a one-off military operation.
“The President was clear last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria (and elsewhere) must end,” Hegseth wrote on X.
“ISIS found out tonight — on Christmas. More to come,” he added, thanking the Nigerian government for its support and cooperation.
In November, Trump claimed that radical Islamists are committing “mass slaughter” and Christianity is “facing an existential threat” in Nigeria. He also added Nigeria back to a “Countries of Particular Concern” list of nations that Washington says have violated religious freedoms, and warned that the U.S. could take military action.
Nigeria welcomed the latest U.S. strikes, stressing that it will continue to cooperate with the U.S. in a statement released by its Foreign Ministry.
“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 airstrikes in the North West,” the statement said.
“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,” it added.
Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar later revealed that Abuja provided the U.S. with intelligence ahead of the Christmas Day strike.
Speaking to the local television network ChannelsTV, the minister said that the strikes would be an “ongoing process” that would also involve other countries.
Nigeria, a country of more than 200 million people, is divided between the largely Muslim north and mostly Christian south.
Armed groups, including many affiliated with ISIS, have been engaged in a conflict that has been largely confined to the northeast of the country, which is majority Muslim, and has dragged on for more than 15 years. Violence has also been increasing in the northwest.
While Christians have been killed, especially in recent months, most of the victims have been Muslims. This led to criticism of Trump’s claims, including from officials in Nigeria.
Although Africom did not say exactly which group was targeted, the affiliation with ISIS suggests that the strikes hit members of Lakurawa. The ISIS-affiliated terrorist group became very active in Sokoto and the neighboring state of Kebbi over the past year.
The remains of a single Tomahawk missile were found near the town of Jabo in Sokoto. Locals there didn’t report any casualties, however. This raises some serious doubts about the scale and effectiveness of the strikes.
Click to see full-size image. (X)
Click to see full-size image. (X)
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Trump’s decision to launch the strikes likely had internal and external motives. U.S. evangelical groups and even some lawmakers have repeatedly called on the Trump administration to take action to stop what they describe as a “Christian genocide” in Nigeria.
At the same time, the direct military involvement strengthens U.S. influence in Nigeria, one of the largest oil and gas producers in Africa.
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how come there was no story about the killing of christians in msm news? i heard about it on the internet just like i knew about the drug cartels operations over the last couple of hundred years, growing and expanding their markets globally but not a squeak barely out of msm.. curious and curiouser.
trump needed a foreign policy win somewhere, this was low hanging fruit
saddam where protecting jasidi christian usa killed him,qaddafi and asad were protecting christians and complaining about usa aided isis christian killing their killed qaddafi and remove assad. iran protect christian yet us order israel attack under trump directives.
usa always hijack non nato bound weapons ship,oil ships nd impose self regime changes.us/nato weapons and oil shipment to ukraine,israel or pirate oil,gold,diamonds to them self never get hijack by bricks countries.now where to we draw the line.
trump is piss off with ulahn omar for not providing him with world best pirate cartel to hijack venezuela oil tankers.just like saudi arabia,nigeria and turkey provide with best isis,alqaida terrorist to destabilize countries.he defaming her in front of apparent transparent sovereign world.
if any men can defame women in-front of cameras then his wife,sister or girlfriend,daughter or mother suffers horrible verbal abuse every day.which is woman abuse and sociological destruction and demoralization.