(Apples Bite Int’l Magazine) – The United States conducted a military strike against Islamic State militants, ISIS, in northwest Nigeria on Thursday, responding to a request from the Nigerian government, according to President Donald Trump and U.S. military officials.
The operation targeted ISIS fighters in Sokoto state who have been attacking Christian communities in the region, Trump announced via Truth Social on Christmas Day.
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!,” the president wrote.
Joint Military Operation
The U.S. military’s Africa Command confirmed the strike was conducted in coordination with Nigerian authorities and successfully eliminated multiple ISIS militants. Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar described the operation as a “joint operation” targeting “terrorists,” emphasizing it “has nothing to do with a particular religion.”
Tuggar revealed the operation had been planned “for quite some time” using intelligence provided by Nigerian sources. He did not rule out future strikes, noting such decisions would depend on leadership from both countries.
Background and Context
The strike follows Trump’s October warnings about Christianity facing an “existential threat” in Nigeria, where he threatened military intervention over violence against Christian communities. Apples Bite Magazine reported Monday that the U.S. had been conducting intelligence-gathering flights over Nigeria since late November.
Nigeria’s foreign ministry confirmed the strike was part of ongoing security cooperation with the United States, involving intelligence sharing and strategic coordination against militant groups. “This has led to precision hits on terrorist targets in Nigeria by air strikes in the North West,” the ministry stated.
Video footage released by the Pentagon showed at least one projectile launched from a warship. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth thanked Nigeria for its cooperation, adding ominously: “More to come…”
Complex Security Situation
Nigeria’s government maintains that armed groups target both Muslims and Christians, and disputes U.S. claims that Christians face persecution as an oversimplification of the complex security situation. However, the country has agreed to work with the U.S. to strengthen its forces against militant groups.
Nigeria’s population is roughly split between Muslims primarily in the north and Christians in the south. Earlier Thursday, a suspected suicide bomber killed at least five people and injured 35 others at a mosque in Nigeria’s northeast, another region plagued by Islamist insurgents.
In a Christmas message, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu called for peace “especially between individuals of differing religious beliefs,” pledging to “enshrine religious freedom in Nigeria and to protect Christians, Muslims, and all Nigerians from violence.”
The Nigerian strike represents the latest U.S. military action against Islamic State targets. Last week, the U.S. military launched large-scale strikes against dozens of ISIS positions in Syria following a suspected ISIS attack on U.S. personnel.
Trump issued his statement about the Nigerian operation from his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, where he is spending the holiday season.
