Trump Orders U.S. Military Strikes on ISIS Targets in Nigeria on Christmas
President Donald Trump said Thursday that he ordered “numerous” U.S. military strikes against Islamic State militants operating in northwest Nigeria, framing the action as a response to violence against Christian communities and marking a rare direct U.S. combat operation in the West African nation. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the United States launched a “powerful and deadly strike” against what he described as ISIS fighters who have been “targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians.” He added that the strikes were aimed at militant targets in Nigeria’s northwest and punctuated the announcement with a Christmas message that drew immediate attention for its tone.
“MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues,” Trump wrote.
A video released by the Pentagon showed at least one projectile being launched from a U.S. warship, though officials did not disclose specific targets or casualty figures. U.S. and Nigerian officials later confirmed that the strikes were carried out in coordination with Nigeria’s government, signaling cooperation between Washington and Abuja despite Trump’s earlier criticism of Nigerian authorities over security and religious freedom.
U.S. Africa Command Confirms Joint Operation
In a statement, U.S. Africa Command said that American forces, working with Nigerian counterparts, conducted strikes against ISIS-linked militants in Sokoto State, a region that has seen growing insecurity fueled by extremist violence and criminal gangs. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he was “grateful for Nigerian government support and cooperation,” while sharing Trump’s comments that sharply criticized Nigeria’s handling of militant violence. Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar told the BBC that the operation was a joint counterterrorism effort and stressed that it was not religiously motivated.
“This has nothing to do with a particular religion,” Tuggar said, describing the targets simply as “terrorists.”
Nigeria Pushes Back on Religious Framing
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country with roughly 240 million people, is nearly evenly divided between Christians and Muslims, alongside adherents of other faiths. Its government and multiple independent analysts have repeatedly argued that extremist violence in the country affects civilians of all religions, not Christians alone. In recent months, Trump has warned that Christianity faces what he called an “existential threat” in Nigeria and has accused the government of failing to protect Christian communities. Nigerian officials and scholars have pushed back, saying that such portrayals oversimplify a complex security crisis driven by insurgency, banditry, poverty, and weak governance.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has publicly rejected claims that Nigeria is religiously intolerant. In a Christmas Eve post on X, Tinubu said he prayed for peace and reaffirmed his commitment to protecting Nigerians of all faiths.
“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,” Tinubu wrote.
Earlier, in a Nov. 1 statement, he said that labeling Nigeria as religiously intolerant “does not reflect our national reality.”
Persistent Violence and Kidnappings
Nigeria continues to face serious security challenges despite ongoing military operations. Islamist extremist groups, including Boko Haram and its ISIS-linked offshoots, have carried out attacks for more than a decade, particularly in the northeast and northwest. On Wednesday night, an explosion at a mosque in northeastern Nigeria killed at least five people and injured dozens, underscoring that Muslims are also frequent victims of extremist violence. Kidnappings for ransom have become widespread, especially in the northwest. Armed groups have targeted clergy, travelers, villagers, and schoolchildren. Earlier this week, Nigerian authorities announced the release of the final group of 130 students abducted from a Catholic school in Niger State, ending a monthlong ordeal that involved more than 300 pupils and staff. School kidnappings surged after Boko Haram abducted 276 schoolgirls from Chibok in 2014, an attack that drew global condemnation and highlighted the country’s deepening security crisis.
Broader U.S. Pressure on Nigeria
The Christmas Day strikes come amid increased U.S. pressure on Nigeria over religious freedom and security concerns. In October, the Trump administration added Nigeria back to a U.S. list of countries accused of violating religious freedom. Earlier this week, Nigeria was also included in a U.S. travel ban framework imposing partial entry restrictions on its nationals. Republican Rep. Riley Moore, who recently visited Nigeria, said the two countries have established a joint task force focused on improving security cooperation.
The Nigeria operation follows separate large-scale U.S. strikes last week against Islamic State targets in Syria, ordered after a suspected ISIS attack on American personnel there. Together, the actions signal a renewed willingness by the Trump administration to use direct military force against ISIS across multiple regions, even as debates continue over the effectiveness and long-term consequences of such interventions.
