Washington: President Donald Trump has announced that the United States carried out air strikes against ISIL (ISIS) targets in northwest Nigeria.
In a statement posted on his Truth Social platform late Thursday, Trump described the operation as a “powerful and deadly strike” directed at ISIL fighters, he said had “targeted and viciously killed primarily innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even centuries.”
The President, acting in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief, said the strikes were aimed at degrading ISIL’s capacity to operate in the region and protecting vulnerable communities from further attacks.
“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,” Trump said.
The US military’s Africa Command (AFRICOM), which is responsible for operations in Africa, said in a post on X that the air strike was carried out “at the request of Nigerian authorities” and had killed “multiple ISIS terrorists”.
The US military action comes weeks after Trump said he had ordered the Pentagon to begin planning for potential military action in Nigeria following claims of Christian persecution in the country.
Nigeria’s government has said armed groups target both Muslim and Christian communities in the country, and US claims that Christians face persecution do not represent a complex security situation and ignore efforts by Nigerian authorities to safeguard religious freedom.
The US State Department had announced more recently that it would restrict visas for Nigerians and their family members involved in mass killings and violence against Christians in the West African country.
Trump’s remarks underscore Washington’s growing military engagement in West Africa, where extremist groups have expanded their footprint in recent years.