President Donald Trump said the United States had carried out a strike against the Islamic State group in northwestern Nigeria, adding that the operation was conducted at the request of the Nigerian government and targeted militants accused of attacking Christians in the region.
U.S. Africa Command said the strike was carried out in Sokoto State, in coordination with Nigerian authorities, and resulted in the deaths of several Islamic State fighters.
The operation followed warnings issued by Mr. Trump in late October, when he said Christianity in Nigeria was facing what he described as an “existential threat,” and signaled that the United States could intervene militarily if the Nigerian government failed to halt violence against Christians.
Reuters had earlier reported that the United States had been conducting surveillance flights over large parts of Nigeria since late November to identify potential targets.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said shortly before the announcement that the strike was part of ongoing security cooperation with the United States, including intelligence sharing and strategic coordination to target militant groups. In a statement, the ministry said the cooperation had led to “precise airstrikes against terrorist targets in northwestern Nigeria.”
Pat Hegseth, the U.S. secretary of defense, thanked the Nigerian government for its support and cooperation in a post on X, adding, “More to come.”
The Nigerian government has said that militant groups have targeted both Muslims and Christians. On Thursday, Nigeria’s police said a suicide bomber killed at least five people at a mosque in the country’s northeast and wounded 35 others.
Nigeria is roughly divided between two major religious groups, with Muslims predominantly living in the north and Christians largely concentrated in the south.
