United States President Donald Trump has announced that he ordered a “powerful and deadly strike” against Islamic State (IS) militants operating in north-western Nigeria.
By Gerald C. Koinyeneh
In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump described the group as “terrorist scum,” accusing IS fighters of “targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians.”
While Trump attributed the operation to the U.S. military, the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) later clarified that Thursday’s strike was carried out in coordination with Nigerian authorities in Sokoto State.
The BBC quoted Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, as describing the operation as a “joint mission” targeting “terrorists,” stressing that it “has nothing to do with a particular religion.”
Tuggar did not rule out further military action, saying any additional strikes would depend on “decisions to be taken by the leadership of the two countries.”
In his late Thursday post, Trump said, “Under my leadership, our country will not allow radical Islamic terrorism to prosper.”
Trump has been a vocal critic of jihadist movements in Nigeria. He and several right-wing U.S. politicians have repeatedly condemned violence against Nigeria’s Christian population, with some characterizing the attacks as a genocide against Christians.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that he was “grateful for Nigerian government support and cooperation.”
The U.S. Department of Defense later released an unclassified short video appearing to show a missile launch from a military vessel, linked to the operation.
On Friday, Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the government “remains 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 engagement has led to precision airstrikes on terrorist targets in north-western Nigeria,” the statement added.
In November, Trump ordered the U.S. military to prepare for possible action in Nigeria, citing what he described as an existential threat to Christians posed by Islamist militant groups.
However, the Nigerian government and international organizations monitoring violence in the country say there is no evidence that Christians are being targeted more than Muslims. Nigeria’s population is roughly evenly divided between the two religious groups.
While welcoming U.S. support, the Nigerian government emphasized that any military action against jihadist groups must be carried out jointly and in full cooperation with Nigerian authorities.
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