The Pentagon carried out a series of strikes on positions held by the Islamic State group in northwestern Nigeria, Donald Trump said in a post on his Truth Social account.
“Tonight, at my direction as commander in chief, the United States delivered a powerful and decisive blow against the terrorist scum of ISIS in northwestern Nigeria. They were attacking and brutally killing, above all, innocent Christians on a scale not seen for many years—and even centuries!” Trump wrote, adding that he had previously warned the militants that if they did not stop the “slaughter of Christians,” they would “pay the full price.”
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the operation followed a course set out by the president a month earlier. According to him, “the president made it clear last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria (and elsewhere) must stop.” “The Department of Defense is always ready, and ISIS learned that tonight—on Christmas,” Hegseth stressed.
US Africa Command (AFRICOM) уточнило, что удары были нанесены по объектам ИГИЛ в штате Сокото на северо-западе Нигерии “at the direction of the US president and the secretary of defense” and “in coordination with Nigerian authorities.” According to preliminary assessments, several members of the group were killed at militant camps.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed coordination with the United States in carrying out strikes on “terrorist targets” and said the country remained committed to protecting the rights of all citizens “regardless of religion or ethnic origin.” “The United States and Nigeria share a common position in the fight against terrorism,” Daniel Bwala, a special adviser to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, told CNN.
Nigeria’s president himself published a “Christmas goodwill message” on December 24, congratulating Christians on the holiday and stressing his determination to do everything possible to “entrench freedom of religion” and to protect “Christians, Muslims, and all Nigerians from violence.”
Trump has repeatedly spoken out about the situation facing Christians in Nigeria. In the autumn, he accused the country of violating freedom of religion, saying that “Christianity in Nigeria faces an existential threat.” His supporters, including Senator Ted Cruz, called for US intervention, arguing that Nigerian authorities were doing too little to prevent attacks on Christians. At the same time, experts and analysts note that victims of attacks by radical Islamist groups in Nigeria include both Christians and Muslims—the country’s two largest religious communities. In November, Trump urged Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to “prepare for possible action” and warned that the United States would enter Nigeria “with guns drawn” to protect Christians.