The US defence department posted a short video that appears to show a missile being launched from a military vessel. (US Department of Defense)
In a move that took the Islamic State (IS) organisation off guard, President Donald Trump on Christmas day announced that it had launched a “powerful and deadly strike” against the terrorist group operating in Nigeria’s north-west.
The US leader described IS as ” terrorist scum”, accusing the group of “targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians”.
Trump said the US military “executed numerous perfect strikes”, while the US Africa Command (Africom) later reported that Thursday’s attack was carried out in co-ordination with Nigeria in the Sokoto state.
Announcing the military action on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote: “Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against Isis terrorist scum in north west Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even centuries.
“The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing.
“Under my leadership, our country will not allow radical Islamic terrorism to prosper.
“May God bless our military, and Merry Christmas to all, including the dead terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues.”
Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar confirmed in a statement that it was a “joint operation” targeting “terrorists”, and it “has nothing to do with a particular religion”.
Without naming IS specifically, Tuggar said the operation had been planned “for quite some time” and had used intelligence information provided by the Nigerian side.
In a press release on Friday December 26 signed by its spokesman, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Nigerian authorities remain engaged in structured security cooperation with international partners, including the United States of America, in addressing the persistent threat of terrorism and violent extremism, emphasising that “This has led to precision hits on terrorist targets in Nigeria by air strikes in the North West”.
In November, Trump ordered the US military to prepare for action in Nigeria to tackle Islamist militant groups.
Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday that he was “grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation”.
“Merry Christmas!” he added, writing on X.
The US Department of Defense later posted a short video that appeared to show a missile being launched from a military vessel.
Groups monitoring violence say there is no evidence to suggest that Christians are being killed more than Muslims in Nigeria, which is roughly evenly divided between followers of the two religions.
Newsmata.com.ng reports that Nigeria had been open to the US intervention in arresting the spate of killings by terrorist groups
Daniel Bwala, special adviser to President Tinubu on Policy Communication, said Nigeria would welcome US help in tackling the Islamist insurgents but noted that it was a “sovereign” country.
He also said the jihadists were not targeting members of a particular religion and that they had killed people from all faiths, or none.
President Tinubu has insisted there is religious tolerance in the country and said the security challenges were affecting people “across faiths and regions”.
Trump earlier announced that he had declared Nigeria a “country of particular concern” because of the “existential threat” posed to its Christian population. He said “thousands” had been killed, without providing any evidence.
This is a designation used by the US state department that provides for sanctions against countries “engaged in severe violations of religious freedom”.
Following this announcement, Tinubu said his government was committed to working with the US and the international community to protect people of all faiths.
Jihadist groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province have wrought havoc in north-eastern Nigeria for more than a decade, killing thousands of people – however most of these have been Muslims, according to Acled, a group which analyses political violence around the world.
In Nigeria’s North Central, there are also frequent clashes between mostly Muslim herders and farming groups, who are often Christian, over access to water and pasture.
Deadly cycles of tit-for-tat attacks have also seen thousands killed – but atrocities have been committed on both sides.
Human rights groups say there is no evidence that Christians have been disproportionately targeted.
Last week, the US said it had carried out a “massive strike” against IS in Syria.
The US Central Command (Centcom) said fighter jets, attack helicopters and artillery “struck more than 70 targets at multiple locations across central Syria”. Aircraft from Jordan were also involved.