On Christmas Day, US President Donald Trump announced that he had directed a deadly military strike against Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists operating in northwest Nigeria, targeting militants accused of persecuting Christians in the country.
“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!” the president wrote on Truth Social.
Trump emphasized that the strike was a direct response to the ongoing attacks against Christians in Nigeria. “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,” he wrote. “The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing.”
He further underscored the US commitment to fighting radical terrorism. “Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper. May God Bless our Military, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues,” Trump concluded.
Over the past several months, Trump has repeatedly highlighted the plight of Christians in Nigeria. In November, he instructed his secretary of defense to “prepare for possible action” and warned that the United States would intervene “guns-a-blazing” if necessary to protect the Christian population in Africa’s most populous nation.
The airstrikes in Sokoto State, carried out in coordination with Nigerian authorities, targeted key ISIS positions and were described as “precise and deadly” by US Africa Command. While details on casualties and damage remain limited, officials confirmed that multiple militants were neutralized during the operation.
Trump’s Christmas announcement comes amid growing concerns about violent attacks against Christian communities in northern Nigeria, which have been increasingly reported over the past year. The president framed the strikes as part of a broader strategy to ensure the protection of vulnerable populations and send a strong message to extremist groups operating in the region.
