The United States has carried out what it described as “powerful and deadly” airstrikes against Islamic State (IS) militants in northwest Nigeria, acting at the request of the Nigerian government, according to statements from President Donald Trump and the US military.
In a post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump said the strikes targeted IS fighters who he claimed had been “viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians” in the region. “Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS terrorist scum in Northwest Nigeria,” he wrote.
US Africa Command (Africom) confirmed the operation, saying it was conducted in Sokoto state in coordination with Nigerian authorities and resulted in the deaths of multiple IS militants. Africom said the strike focused on known militant camps used to plan and carry out attacks.
Nigeria’s foreign ministry said the operation was part of ongoing security cooperation between Abuja and Washington, including 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 in a post on X.
A video released by the Pentagon showed at least one projectile launched from a US warship. A US defence official said multiple militants were targeted at established Islamic State locations.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth thanked the Nigerian government for its cooperation, adding in a post on X: “More to come…”
The strikes follow warnings from Trump in late October that Christianity faces an “existential threat” in Nigeria. He had threatened possible US military intervention if Nigeria failed to curb violence against Christian communities. Reuters reported earlier this week that US intelligence-gathering flights had been operating over large parts of Nigeria since late November.
