JUST IN: US Launches Air Strike on Islamic State Fighters in Northwest Nigeria, Trump Confirms
JUST IN: US Launches Air Strike on Islamic State Fighters in Northwest Nigeria — Trump Confirms
Former US President Donald Trump has announced that the United States carried out an air strike against ISIL fighters operating in northwest Nigeria, describing the operation as decisive and lethal.
In a statement shared on his Truth Social platform on Thursday night, Trump said the strike was authorised by him in his role as commander in chief. He claimed the operation targeted ISIL militants responsible for brutal attacks that allegedly resulted in the deaths of many civilians, most of whom he described as Christians.
Trump stated that the militants had carried out violent killings on a scale not witnessed in years and said he had previously warned the group that continued violence against Christians would trigger severe consequences. According to him, the strike was the fulfilment of that warning.
Eagles Sight News report that a statement from Trump’s official Facebook page, the former president said:
“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! 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.”
DONALD J. TRUMP
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
The US Africa Command (AFRICOM) later confirmed the operation, noting that it was conducted at the request of the Nigerian government. AFRICOM said several ISIL fighters were killed during the air strike. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also acknowledged the operation, thanking Nigerian authorities for their cooperation and hinting that further actions could follow.
AFRICOM said the strike took place in what it referred to as “Soboto state,” which appeared to be a reference to Sokoto State in northern Nigeria.
The military action follows earlier comments by Trump in which he directed the Pentagon to prepare possible intervention plans over concerns about religious violence in Nigeria. Nigerian officials had previously rejected claims that Christians were being specifically targeted, arguing that armed groups attack communities regardless of religion and that the security crisis is complex.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement early Friday confirming that the country is working closely with international partners, including the United States, to combat terrorism and violent extremism. The ministry said this cooperation has resulted in targeted air operations against terrorist groups in the northwest.
Reporting from Lagos, Al Jazeera correspondent Ahmed Idris said images of missile debris had surfaced online following a strike near a village in Sokoto State, though there were no reports of casualties. He added that Sokoto, a predominantly Muslim state, is not widely known for attacks on Christians, making claims of religiously targeted violence in the area questionable.
From Washington, DC, Al Jazeera’s Shihab Rattansi noted that US military involvement in Nigeria had been under discussion for some time. He explained that Trump has long accused Nigerian authorities of failing to protect Christian communities, dating back to his first term. In recent months, US officials classified Nigeria as a country of concern over religious freedom and reportedly increased aerial surveillance from a base in Ghana.
Rattansi added that the timing of the strike—on Christmas Day—was likely to resonate strongly with Trump’s evangelical Christian supporters in the United States.
Trump made the announcement while spending the holiday at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida.