Trump says U.S. carried out airstrike on ISIS fighters in Nigeria
U.S. President Donald Trump said American forces carried out a deadly airstrike against ISIS fighters in northwestern Nigeria, citing security threats and militant violence.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States carried out an airstrike against Islamic State (ISIS) fighters in northwestern Nigeria, marking a rare public acknowledgment of U.S. military action in the country.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Thursday, December 25, Trump said the strike was ordered by him and described it as a “powerful and deadly” operation against ISIS militants.
Trump said he had previously warned the militants to stop what he described as the killing of Christians, adding that they had now “paid a heavy price” for ignoring that warning.
Nigeria’s foreign ministry later confirmed the strike indirectly, saying early on Friday that Nigerian authorities are engaged in structured security cooperation with international partners, including the United States, to combat terrorism and violent extremism.
The ministry did not provide details on the operation or casualties but reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to working with allies to address persistent security threats.
Nigeria has for years battled multiple armed groups, including Boko Haram and its offshoot Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), particularly in the country’s northeast and parts of the northwest, where attacks on civilians and security forces are frequent.
The security situation is widely seen as complex, involving terrorism, banditry, communal violence, and criminal networks operating across vast and often poorly governed regions.
The U.S. strike follows Trump’s statement weeks earlier that he had instructed the Pentagon to begin planning possible military action in Nigeria after allegations of persecution of Christians.
Nigerian authorities previously rejected those claims, saying armed groups target both Muslim and Christian communities and warning that portraying the violence as religiously one-sided oversimplifies the conflict.
Analysts say the reported strike underscores Washington’s growing concern over the spread of ISIS-linked groups in West Africa, even as U.S. military involvement in the region remains limited.
The incident may also add diplomatic sensitivity to U.S.–Nigeria relations, as Abuja seeks foreign support against terrorism while resisting narratives that could inflame religious tensions.
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