Donald Trump has announced that the United States carried out airstrikes against Islamic State militants in north-west Nigeria on Thursday, stating the operation was directed at groups targeting Christians. In a post on his Truth Social platform, the president said the strikes were launched against 'ISIS Terrorist Scum' who had been 'viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians'.
The US military's Africa Command confirmed the strike occurred in Sokoto state, in coordination with Nigerian authorities. An initial statement said the operation was conducted at Nigeria's request, but that statement was later removed. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth expressed gratitude for Nigerian government support and cooperation.
Nigeria's foreign ministry described the strikes as part of ongoing security cooperation with the US, involving intelligence sharing and strategic coordination. 'This has led to precision hits on terrorist targets in Nigeria by air strikes in the North West,' the ministry said on X. Earlier this month, US planes conducted surveillance missions over the region, reportedly using an airport in Ghana as a launch base.
Forests in Sokoto, which borders Niger, have been used as bases by armed bandits and members of the Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP), known locally as 'Lakurawa'. Some analysts suggest the group's cell in the state originated from herders banding together to fight bandit incursions in the absence of state support.
The strikes occurred a day after a Christmas Eve bombing at a mosque in northeast Nigeria killed at least five people and wounded over 30 others. The Nigerian army attributed the suicide bombing in Borno state to Boko Haram, which has led a jihadist insurgency for nearly two decades.
Trump, who campaigned as a 'candidate of peace' promising to end 'endless wars', has overseen multiple military interventions in his first year back in office, including strikes on Yemen, Iran, Syria, and a military buildup in the Caribbean targeting Venezuela. He had previously threatened a 'guns-a-blazing' intervention in Nigeria, accusing the government of inadequately protecting Christians from Islamist groups.
