President Donald Trump announced that the US executed a “powerful and fatal attack” against the Islamic State (IS) group located in north-western Nigeria.
The US leader labeled IS as “terrorist filth,” charging the group with “targeting and brutally murdering, mainly, innocent Christians.”
Trump remarked that the US military “carried out numerous flawless strikes,” while the US Africa Command (Africom) later indicated that the assault on Thursday was conducted in collaboration with Nigeria in Sokoto state.
Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar informed the BBC it was a “joint mission” aimed at “terrorists,” and it “is not associated with any specific religion.”
Tuggar did not dismiss the possibility of further strikes, stating this was contingent on “decisions made by the leaders of both nations.”
In a post on Truth Social late Thursday, Trump mentioned that “under my command, our Country will not permit Radical Islamic Terrorism to thrive.”
In November, Trump instructed the US military to gear up for operations in Nigeria to confront Islamist militant factions.
He did not specify which incidents he was referencing at that moment – nonetheless, allegations of a genocide against Nigeria’s Christians have been circulating in certain right-wing US circles recently.
Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed on Thursday that he was “thankful for the support and collaboration of the Nigerian government.”
He added, “Merry Christmas!” in a message on X.
The US Department of Defense subsequently shared an unclassified brief video that seemingly depicted a missile being launched from a military ship.
On Friday morning, the Nigerian foreign ministry released a statement indicating that the authorities “continue to engage in structured security collaboration with international partners, including the United States, to address the ongoing threat of terrorism and violent extremism.
“This has resulted in targeted strikes on terrorist positions in Nigeria through air assaults in the North West,” the statement conveyed.
Organizations observing violence claim there is no proof to indicate that Christians are being killed more than Muslims in Nigeria, which has approximately equal followers of both religions.
An adviser to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu told the BBC at that time that any military actions against the jihadist factions should be executed collaboratively.
Daniel Bwala stated that Nigeria would appreciate US assistance in combating the Islamist insurgents while emphasizing that it is a “sovereign” nation.
He also noted that the jihadists are not exclusively targeting individuals of a certain faith and that they have taken lives from all backgrounds, or none.
President Tinubu has maintained that there is religious acceptance in the country and remarked that the security issues are affecting individuals “across all faiths and regions.”
Trump had previously declared Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” due to the “existential threat” to its Christian population. He claimed “thousands” have been slain, without offering any substantiation.
This designation is employed by the US state department to impose sanctions on countries “engaged in severe violations of religious liberty.”
Following this declaration, Tinubu asserted that his administration was dedicated to cooperating with the US and the global community to safeguard communities of all faiths.
Jihadist entities such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province have caused widespread destruction in north-eastern Nigeria for over a decade, resulting in thousands of fatalities – however, most of these casualties have been Muslims, according to Acled, a group that studies political violence worldwide.
In central Nigeria, there are recurrent confrontations between primarily Muslim herders and farming groups, who are predominantly Christian, over access to water and grazing land.
Deadly cycles of retaliatory assaults have resulted in numerous deaths – but atrocities have been committed by both factions.
Human rights organizations indicate there is no evidence that Christians have been unfairly targeted.
Last week, the US announced it had executed a “significant strike” against IS in Syria,
The US Central Command (Centcom) reported that fighter jets, attack helicopters, and artillery “hit over 70 targets at various locations throughout central Syria.” Aircraft from Jordan were also involved.
