President Donald Trump announced the execution of several airstrikes against the ISIS terrorist organization in northwest Nigeria, declaring that his country would launch more strikes if the organization does not stop "killing Christians" there.
Trump said on his Truth Social platform, "I have previously warned these terrorists that they would pay a heavy price if they did not stop killing Christians, and they paid the price tonight," adding that "the Department of War conducted many precise strikes" on Christmas Day.
The US Command in Africa announced on the X platform that it launched a raid "at the request of the Nigerian authorities in Sokoto State resulting in the death of several ISIS terrorists."
US War Secretary Pete Hegseth praised on the X platform the readiness of his department to act in Nigeria, expressing his gratitude for "the support and cooperation of the Nigerian government."
The Nigerian Foreign Ministry confirmed that the United States executed precise airstrikes against "terrorist targets."
In a statement issued early Friday morning, it said, "The Nigerian authorities continue to engage in organized security cooperation with international partners, including the United States, to combat the ongoing threat of terrorism and violent extremism."
The statement added that this led to "precise airstrikes targeting terrorist objectives in northwest Nigeria."
These American strikes in Nigeria are the first of their kind under Trump and come after his unexpectedly critical comments about the country in October and November, considering that Christians there face an "existential threat" that amounts to "genocide."
