US launches strike against ISIS in northwest Nigeria

The United States has carried out a strike against IS targets in northwest Nigeria at the request of Nigeria's government, President Donald Trump and the US military said on Thursday, claiming the group had been targeting Christians in the region.

The US military’s Africa Command said the strike was carried out in Sokoto state in coordination with the Nigerian authorities and killed multiple ISIS members. 

An earlier statement posted by the command on X said the strike had been conducted at the request of Nigerian authorities, but that statement was later removed.

The strike comes after Trump in late October began warning that Christianity faces an "existential threat" in Nigeria and threatened to militarily intervene in the West African country over what he says is its failure to stop violence targeting Christian communities.

Reuters reported on Monday the US had been conducting intelligence-gathering flights over large parts of Nigeria since late November.

'MORE TO COME'

Nigeria’s foreign ministry said the strikes were carried out as part of ongoing security cooperation with the United States, involving intelligence sharing and strategic coordination to target rebel groups.

"This has led to precision hits on terrorist targets in Nigeria by air strikes in the North West," the ministry said in a post on X.

A video posted by the Pentagon showed at least one projectile launched from a warship. A US defense official said the strike targeted multiple members at known ISIS camps.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on X thanked the Nigerian government for its support and cooperation and added: “More to come...”

Police said earlier on Thursday a bomber killed at least five people and injured 35 others in Nigeria's northeast.

In a Christmas message posted on X earlier, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu called for peace in his country, "especially between individuals of differing religious beliefs."

He also said: "I stand committed to doing everything within my power to enshrine religious freedom in Nigeria and to protect Christians, Muslims, and all Nigerians from violence."

Trump issued his statement on the strike on Christmas Day while he was at his Palm Beach, Florida, Mar-a-Lago Club, where he has been spending the holiday. He had no public events during the day and was last seen by the reporters traveling with him on Wednesday night.

The US military last week launched separate large-scale strikes against dozens of IS targets in Syria, after Trump vowed to hit back in the wake of a suspected ISIS attack on US personnel in the country.