By: Ashiadey Dotse
United States President Donald Trump has announced that U.S. forces carried out deadly airstrikes against Islamic State (ISIS) fighters in northwestern Nigeria.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Thursday, President Trump said the strikes targeted ISIS militants who, according to him, have been killing innocent people, especially Christians. He said the attacks were carried out on his orders as Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. military.
Trump said the U.S. Department of War conducted what he described as “numerous perfect strikes” and warned that more attacks would follow if the killings continue. He added that the United States would not allow extremist groups to succeed under his leadership.
In a separate message on X, formerly Twitter, U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the strikes were carried out with the support and cooperation of the Nigerian government. He said the U.S. was committed to stopping the killing of innocent people in Nigeria and other places.
The U.S. Africa Command also confirmed the operation, saying the airstrikes took place on December 25, 2025, in Sokoto State. According to the command, several ISIS fighters were killed during the operation, which was coordinated with Nigerian authorities.
The strikes came a day after a bomb explosion at a mosque in Maiduguri, in Nigeria’s northeast, killed at least five people and injured many others in what was suspected to be a suicide attack.
Nigeria has faced years of violence from armed groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province, especially in the northern parts of the country.
Last month, President Trump warned that the U.S. could take strong action against terrorists in Nigeria if more was not done to stop extremist attacks. Since returning to office in January, he has approved military strikes in several countries as part of efforts to fight terrorism.
