President Donald Trump confirms 'powerful and deadly' US military strikes against Islamic State targets in Northwest Nigeria on Christmas Day, citing protection of Christians as the primary motive. The Nigerian government has expressed support for the operation.

ABUJA, Nigeria — In a dramatic escalation of United States counter-terrorism operations in West Africa, President Donald Trump confirmed on Thursday that he ordered "powerful and deadly" airstrikes against Islamic State (ISIS) militants in northwestern Nigeria on Christmas Day.

The strikes, which the Trump administration described as a direct response to the persecution of Christians in the region, mark a significant intensification of US military involvement in Nigeria's ongoing security crisis.

"I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was," President Trump declared in a statement posted to Truth Social. "The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing."

The President, currently at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida for the holidays, added a stark warning to the militants: "Merry Christmas to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues."

Nigerian Government Support

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The operation appears to have been conducted with the full cooperation of the Nigerian government. Sources within the presidency in Abuja have indicated that the strikes targeted specific ISIS cells operating in the volatile northwest region, where banditry and insurgency have blurred in recent years.

Daniel Bwala, a special advisor to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, told news outlets, "The US and Nigeria are on the same page in the fight against terrorism."

The Nigerian Foreign Ministry also released a statement confirming cooperation on strikes against "terrorist targets," reiterating the nation's commitment to protecting all citizens regardless of faith.

Context of the Conflict

Northwestern Nigeria has been plagued by violence from various armed groups, including bandits and jihadist factions aligned with the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). While the Nigerian military has battled these groups for over a decade, direct US airstrikes on Nigerian soil have been rare and politically sensitive.

Trump has made the protection of persecuted Christians a central pillar of his foreign policy agenda. Earlier this year, his administration designated Nigeria as a "Country of Particular Concern" regarding religious freedom violations, signaling a tougher stance.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed the President's sentiments, expressing gratitude for "Nigerian government support & cooperation" in a social media post following the strikes.

Impact and Aftermath

Details on the casualty count remain emerging. US Africa Command (AFRICOM) has stated that the strikes killed "multiple terrorists" in Sokoto state, a region bordering Niger that has become a hotbed for extremist activity.

The strikes signal a robust re-engagement of US military power in the Sahel and West Africa, a region that has seen a withdrawal of Western forces in recent years following coups in neighboring Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.

As news of the strikes broke, reactions in Nigeria were mixed, with some celebrating the decisive action against terrorists who have terrorized communities for years, while others raised concerns about sovereignty and the potential for civilian casualties.

For now, the message from Washington is clear: the US is back in the fight in West Africa, and the rules of engagement have changed.

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