Nigeria’s foreign ministry confirmed on Friday that precision airstrikes carried out by the United States targeted “terrorist targets” in the country’s northwest, emphasising that the two countries remain engaged in “structured security cooperation.”
The strikes, conducted at the request of the Nigerian government, targeted Islamic State militants in the region. U.S. President Donald Trump announced the operation on Thursday, claiming the militants had been targeting Christians in Nigeria.
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
U.S. Africa Command confirmed the strike occurred in “Soboto state,” an apparent reference to Sokoto state, and reported multiple ISIS militants were killed. A Pentagon official added, “(The Pentagon) worked with the government of Nigeria to carry out these strikes. These strikes were approved by the government of Nigeria.”
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth thanked the Nigerian government for its support on X, adding, “More to come...”
The airstrikes come after Trump, beginning in late October, warned that Christianity faces an “existential threat” in Nigeria and threatened military action over what he described as the government’s failure to prevent violence targeting Christian communities. Reuters reported that the U.S. had been conducting intelligence-gathering flights over large parts of Nigeria since late November.
Nigeria’s government, however, has stressed that armed groups target both Muslims and Christians, noting that U.S. claims of persecution against Christians do not capture the full complexity of the country’s security situation. Nevertheless, Nigeria has agreed to cooperate with the U.S. to bolster its forces against militant groups.
Nigeria’s population is roughly divided between Muslims in the north and Christians in the south.
In a Christmas message posted on X, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu called for peace in the country “especially between individuals of differing religious beliefs,” adding, “I stand committed to doing everything within my power to enshrine religious freedom in Nigeria and to protect Christians, Muslims, and all Nigerians from violence.”
The strikes follow a recent attack in Nigeria’s northeast, where police said a suspected suicide bomber killed at least five people and injured 35 others. The U.S. military also recently launched separate strikes against dozens of Islamic State targets in Syria after Trump vowed retaliation following a suspected ISIS attack on U.S. personnel there.