US President Donald Trump said recent US-authorised missile strikes in Nigeria helped halt attacks on Christian communities and weakened terrorist groups in the country.
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Speaking at an event in Washington on Friday, Trump said the military action sharply reduced killings of Christians, whom he described as being targeted in large numbers. “As you know, we recently struck Nigeria and largely ended the slaughter of great Christian populations,” he said.
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Trump alleged that thousands of Christians, including women, children and elderly people, had been killed before the strikes. “They have a great Christian population. They were being butchered… Thousands and thousands of people were being killed, children, women, old people, just being slaughtered, hacked to death,” he said.
The president also claimed the operation removed senior terrorist leaders and deterred further attacks. “They know that if they go further, the attack will be far greater,” he said. “We hit them very hard. We knocked out their leader. We knocked out their second leader and their third leader.”
Drawing a parallel with US policy on Iran, Trump framed both actions as measures to prevent larger security threats. “It sounds a little bit like Iran, actually… because we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. Can’t let it happen,” he said.
Trump added that his administration remained committed to protecting Christians worldwide through military action against extremist groups and warned that the United States would continue to confront threats to religious freedom wherever they arise.
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