WASHINGTON, Dec 26: President Donald Trump has said the United States carried out what he called a powerful and deadly strike against the Islamic State group in northwestern Nigeria. In a post on Truth Social late Thursday, Trump used harsh language to describe ISI and accused the group of killing civilians, mainly Christians, the BBC reported.
Trump said the US military carried out what he described as numerous precise strikes. Soon after, US Africa Command said the operation took place on Thursday in coordination with Nigerian forces in Sokoto state, according to the BBC.
Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar told the BBC the strike was a joint operation against terrorist groups and stressed it was not linked to any religion. He said the action focused on security threats, not faith.
Trump also said the United States would not allow what he called radical Islamic terrorism to grow under his leadership. He had earlier ordered the US military in November to prepare for possible action in Nigeria against Islamist armed groups, the BBC reported.
Nigeria says 15 suspected Boko Haram fighters shot dead
The US president did not clearly say which killings he was referring to, but claims of mass killings of Christians in Nigeria have circulated in recent months in some right-wing circles in the United States..
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth thanked the Nigerian government for its support and cooperation in a message posted on X, adding a Christmas greeting. His remarks came on the same day as the strike, the BBC noted.
Groups that track violence say there is no proof that Christians face higher levels of killing than Muslims in Nigeria, a country with a near equal split between the two faiths, the BBC said.
Daniel Bwala, an adviser to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, earlier told the BBC that any foreign military action should take place with Nigeria’s involvement. He said Nigeria welcomes help but remains a sovereign state and added that armed groups kill people of all beliefs.
President Tinubu has repeatedly said Nigeria practices religious tolerance and that insecurity affects people across regions and faiths, according to the BBC.
Trump earlier named Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern over religious freedom, citing what he called an existential threat to Christians. He claimed thousands had been killed but gave no evidence. Tinubu later said Nigeria would work with the US and others to protect all communities.
Armed groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province have killed thousands in north-eastern Nigeria over the past decade. Most victims have been Muslim, according to conflict data cited by the BBC.
In central Nigeria, clashes between herders and farmers over land and water have also killed thousands, with violence recorded on both sides and no proof of one religious group being singled out..
Separately, the US said last week it carried out a large-scale strike on Islamic State targets in Syria, involving dozens of sites and support from Jordan, according to the BBC.
