Washington: The United States has carried out targeted military strikes against Islamic State-linked militants in north-western Nigeria, with President Donald Trump claiming the operation was aimed at stopping attacks on Christians and dismantling terrorist networks operating in the region.
In a post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump said the US military executed “powerful and deadly” strikes against ISIS fighters, whom he described as “terrorist scum.” He accused the group of “targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians,” adding that Washington would not allow “radical Islamic terrorism to prosper” under his leadership.
While the White House did not immediately release operational details, The New York Times reported that more than a dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired from US naval vessels in the Gulf of Guinea, striking at least two ISIS camps.
Trump launches ‘powerful and deadly’ strikes on ISIS targeting Christians in Nigeria: ‘Terrorist Scum’ https://t.co/7PxHFxz2vx pic.twitter.com/H2F9Qi2LAA
— New York Post (@nypost) December 25, 2025
Strikes Coordinated With Nigeria
US Africa Command, or US Africa Command, confirmed the operation, saying it was conducted in coordination with Nigerian authorities.
“At the direction of the President of the United States and the Secretary of War, and in coordination with Nigerian authorities, US Africa Command conducted strikes against ISIS terrorists in Nigeria on December 25, 2025, in Sokoto State,” the command said in a statement on X.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also acknowledged the cooperation. Ministry spokesperson Kimiebi I. Ebienfa said Abuja would continue working with international partners to weaken terrorist networks operating within the country.
Pressure Over Christian Safety
The strikes follow weeks of mounting pressure from evangelical Christian groups and Republican lawmakers, including Senator Ted Cruz, who have warned of rising violence against Christians in Africa’s most populous nation. Earlier in November, Trump had threatened to cut US aid to Nigeria if stronger steps were not taken to protect Christian communities.
Nigeria, however, has consistently rejected claims that the violence is driven by state-backed or systematic religious persecution, arguing that it is battling multiple insurgencies and criminal groups that affect communities across religious lines.
A Complex Insurgency
Although the US strikes targeted the north-west, Nigeria’s deadliest insurgency remains concentrated in the northeast, where groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province have waged a brutal campaign for over a decade.
An ISIS offshoot, often referred to as Islamic State–Sahel, has also intensified activity along border regions linking Nigeria and Niger, exploiting weak governance and vast ungoverned spaces.
Data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) highlights the scale of the violence. In November alone, Boko Haram and ISWAP were involved in at least six major clashes in the Lake Chad region. Between November 5 and 8, fighting between rival jihadist factions reportedly left up to 200 people dead, marking one of the most severe escalations in recent years.
ACLED estimates that more than 9,300 people were killed in Nigeria due to political violence and conflict between December 2023 and November 2024.
Second US Strike in a Week
The Nigeria operation marks the second US strike against ISIS in a week. Earlier, American forces hit ISIS positions in Syria following the killing of two US soldiers and an interpreter.
For Washington, the latest action underscores a renewed willingness to use force beyond traditional war zones, while for Abuja it highlights growing international involvement in Nigeria’s long-running fight against extremist violence.
