Former U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that American forces carried out multiple airstrikes against suspected Islamic State fighters operating in north-western Nigeria, citing attacks on Christians as the reason for the operation.
Trump made the disclosure in a post on social media on Thursday, stating that the strikes were ordered under his authority as Commander-in-Chief. He claimed the militants had been responsible for violent killings, mostly targeting innocent Christians in the region.
According to Trump, the U.S. defence department carried out what he described as highly successful and precise military operations, adding that the strikes demonstrated America’s superior military capability.
A U.S. defence official later confirmed that the operation was conducted in coordination with Nigerian authorities and had received approval from the Nigerian government.
In November, Trump designated Nigeria a “country of particular concern,” a classification that can lead to sanctions. At the time, he accused the Nigerian government of not doing enough to stop extremist violence against Christians and warned that the United States was prepared to take aggressive action if the situation continued.
Not long after those comments, armed attackers abducted hundreds of schoolchildren from a Catholic school in Nigeria, further heightening international concern.
Trump has repeatedly raised alarm over what he described as persistent threats to Christians in Nigeria, warning that the faith faces serious danger in parts of the country.
Nigeria has for years struggled with insecurity caused by terrorist organisations, armed bandits and criminal gangs, with attacks affecting both Muslim and Christian communities.
Meanwhile, U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested in a separate social media post that additional military action against Islamic State-linked groups in Nigeria could still be carried out.
