The United States, under the leadership of former President Donald Trump, has conducted a 'powerful and deadly strike' against the Islamic State (IS) group in north-western Nigeria. Trump characterized IS as 'terrorist scum' for allegedly targeting and killing innocent Christians. The operation took place in the Sokoto state and was a coordinated effort with the Nigerian government, according to US Africa Command (Africom).
Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar confirmed to the BBC that the attack was a 'joint operation' aiming at 'terrorists' and emphasized that the mission was not aimed at any specific religion. Tuggar highlighted that the operation was based on intelligence information from Nigeria and had been planned for a significant period.
On Truth Social, Trump stated that 'under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper.' The operation follows Trump's directive in November for military readiness in Nigeria to combat Islamist militants. Although Trump did not outline specific incidents, recent claims of anti-Christian violence in Nigeria have circulated among right-wing US groups.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed gratitude for Nigeria's support and cooperation in the mission and offered festive greetings, writing 'Merry Christmas!' on X.
The US Department of Defense released a video showing a missile launch from a military vessel. In a statement, the Nigerian foreign ministry reaffirmed the country's commitment to working with international partners, including the US, to counter terrorist threats. The recent airstrikes have specifically targeted armed groups in Nigeria's North West.
Despite these operations, monitoring entities suggest there is no specific evidence indicating that Christians are targeted more than Muslims in the region, which has a roughly equal religious demographic. Daniel Bwala, an adviser to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, emphasized that while Nigeria welcomes international support, it remains a sovereign state. He noted that jihadist attacks affect people of all religions and stressed the importance of religious tolerance in addressing the country's security issues.