Yesterday (Dec 25, 2025), U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that the U.S. military carried out 'a powerful and deadly' strike against Islamic State militants in northwest Nigeria. 🎯
He said the operation targeted extremists 'who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even centuries!'
The U.S. Africa Command confirmed the airstrikes were conducted at the request of Nigerian authorities in Sokoto state (noted as 'Soboto state' in U.S. statements) and killed multiple ISIS militants.
In a statement, Nigeria's Foreign Ministry affirmed the strikes hit 'terrorist targets' and highlighted ongoing structured security cooperation with Washington.
Trump emphasized that the U.S. would not allow radical Islamic terrorism to prosper and praised the strikes as 'perfect' work by the Department of War.
However, Nigeria's government notes that violence in the northwest affects both Muslim and Christian communities. Abuja says it's committed to safeguarding religious freedom across the country.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took to X to thank Nigerian authorities for their support and teased: 'More to come…'
Earlier, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu used a Christmas message to call for peace 'between individuals of differing religious beliefs' and vowed to protect all Nigerians from violence.
This operation follows recent U.S. strikes on Islamic State targets in Syria, reinforcing Washington's commitment to fighting extremism worldwide.
As U.S. and Nigerian forces deepen their partnership, attention turns to the next steps in securing the region and protecting vulnerable communities. 🌍
Reference(s):
U.S. military strikes IS militants in northwest Nigeria, Trump says
cgtn.com
