The United States has confirmed that its military carried out airstrikes on Islamic State positions in Sokoto State, northwest Nigeria, following a request from the Nigerian government. U.S. Africa Command said the operation resulted in the deaths of multiple ISIS militants operating from established camps in the area.
The strikes followed weeks of intelligence-gathering missions over large parts of Nigeria, which began in late November, according to reports. Video footage released by the Pentagon showed a projectile launched from a U.S. warship, while American defense officials said the operation targeted several militants at known ISIS locations.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the airstrikes were executed under existing security cooperation agreements with the United States, involving intelligence sharing and joint strategic planning. “This has led to precision hits on terrorist targets in Nigeria by air strikes in the North West,” the ministry stated in a post on X. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also praised the collaboration, saying he was grateful for Nigeria’s support and cooperation, adding: “More to come...”
Donald Trump announced the operation on Christmas Day while at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. In a post on his Truth Social platform, he said: “Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, 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, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!
“I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was. The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing.”
Trump has repeatedly accused Islamist groups in Nigeria of targeting Christians and has in the past threatened military intervention if the violence continued. Nigerian authorities, however, have pushed back against claims that the country’s insecurity amounts to religious persecution, insisting that militant groups attack both Muslims and Christians and that the crisis is rooted in broader security challenges.
Nigeria’s population is nearly evenly divided between Muslims and Christians, with years of insurgency, banditry and communal violence affecting multiple regions. Security analysts say the violence is driven by a mix of extremist activity, criminal networks and long-standing disputes over land and resources.
The strikes came as fresh violence was reported elsewhere in the country. Police said a suspected suicide bomber killed at least five people and wounded 35 others in Nigeria’s northeast, another region long affected by Islamist insurgents.
Earlier, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu used his Christmas message to call for peace and unity, urging harmony “especially between individuals of differing religious beliefs.” He added: “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.”
The Nigeria operation follows recent U.S. strikes on Islamic State targets in Syria, launched after a suspected ISIS attack on American personnel there, underscoring a broader escalation in U.S. military actions against extremist groups abroad.