President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that U.S. forces carried out deadly airstrikes against Islamic State militants in northwestern Nigeria, describing the targets as “Islamic State scum” and warning of further action if the group continues killing Christians.
Speaking on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the “Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes” on Christmas Day, though he did not provide specific details. “I previously warned these terrorists that if they did not stop slaughtering Christians, there would be hell to pay — and tonight, there was,” he wrote. Trump concluded his post with, “May God bless our military. MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead terrorists — of which there will be many more if their killing of Christians continues.”
U.S. Africa Command confirmed the operation in a statement on X (formerly Twitter), saying the strike was conducted “at the request of Nigerian authorities” and “eliminated multiple ISIS terrorists.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also praised the mission on X, commending the Pentagon’s responsiveness and expressing gratitude for “Nigerian government support and cooperation.”
The strikes mark the first U.S. military action in Nigeria during Trump’s current term. They follow his comments in October and November criticizing Nigeria’s handling of violence against Christians, calling the situation an “existential threat” and “genocide.”
While Trump’s remarks have drawn support from some religious groups, others warn they could inflame sectarian divisions in Africa’s most populous nation. The Nigerian government and local analysts have repeatedly rejected U.S. characterizations of the country’s security crisis as a matter of religious persecution, arguing that the violence stems from complex political, ethnic, and economic factors rather than faith-based conflict.
