President Donald Trump said US forces conducted “powerful and deadly” strikes on Thursday against Islamic State (IS) militants in northwestern Nigeria, weeks after he warned against any systemic assault on Christians in the country. The Nigerian foreign ministry early on Friday confirmed the air strikes, describing them as “precision hits on terrorist targets” in the country.
The Department of Defence’s US Africa Command said “multiple ISIS terrorists” were killed in an attack in Sokoto state conducted at the request of Nigerian authorities, but few details were provided, and it was not clear how many people died. The strikes hit IS targets on Christmas Day, according to Trump.
“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,” he said in a post on his Truth Social platform. “May God Bless our Military,” he said, adding provocatively, “MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues.”