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President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States carried out “numerous” military strikes against Islamic State militants in Nigeria, accusing the group of killing Christians and describing the action as a forceful response to escalating violence.
“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,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. He said the strikes were directed at militants operating in northwestern Nigeria.
Trump added a holiday message that drew attention for its language: “MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues.”
The Pentagon released video showing at least one projectile launched from a U.S. warship, though it did not disclose specific targets. U.S. and Nigerian officials confirmed the strikes were carried out jointly, marking a notable shift from Trump’s earlier criticism of Nigeria’s government.
In a statement, U.S. Africa Command said that “in coordination with Nigerian authorities, U.S. Africa Command conducted strikes against ISIS terrorists in Nigeria … in Sokoto State.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth thanked Nigerian officials for their cooperation, even as Trump’s statement again criticized Nigeria’s handling of violence affecting Christian communities.
Nigeria disputes religious framing
Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar told the BBC that the operation was a “joint effort” against terrorists and “has nothing to do with a particular religion.”
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation with about 240 million people, is roughly divided between Christians, Muslims and adherents of other faiths. Its government and independent experts have repeatedly said that extremist violence affects communities across religious lines.
Trump has warned since October that Christianity faces what he called an “existential threat” in Nigeria and has threatened military intervention over the government’s response. Nigerian officials have said that characterization is misleading.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said in a Christmas Eve message on X that he prays for peace and religious coexistence. “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,” Tinubu wrote.
Earlier this fall, Tinubu said claims that Nigeria is religiously intolerant “do not reflect our national reality.”
Persistent insecurity
Nigeria continues to grapple with widespread insecurity, including attacks by Islamist extremist groups, armed banditry and mass kidnappings. While the government has launched repeated military operations and negotiated releases, violence remains common.
On Wednesday night, a blast at a mosque in northeastern Nigeria killed five people and injured dozens, according to local officials.
Kidnappings for ransom are especially prevalent in the northwest, where armed gangs and militant groups have targeted villagers, travelers and clergy. This week, authorities said a final group of 130 schoolchildren abducted from a Catholic school in Niger state in November was set to be reunited with their families, ending one of the country’s largest school kidnappings in recent years.
School abductions surged after Boko Haram — a militant group linked to the Islamic State — kidnapped 276 girls from Chibok in 2014, drawing global attention to Nigeria’s security crisis.
U.S. pressure on Nigeria
The U.S. has recently taken steps to pressure Nigeria over religious freedom concerns. In October, the Trump administration added Nigeria back to a U.S. list of countries accused of violating religious freedom protections. Earlier this week, Nigeria was also placed on a U.S. travel ban list that imposes partial entry restrictions.
Republican Rep. Riley Moore, who recently traveled to Nigeria, said the two countries have established a joint task force to address security threats.
The strikes in Nigeria come days after the U.S. military launched large-scale attacks against Islamic State targets in Syria following a suspected ISIS attack on U.S. personnel there.
