U.S. military forces conducted airstrikes against ISIS militants in northwest Nigeria on Christmas Day, marking a symbolically timed military action that President Donald Trump described as a "powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum."
Trump also accused ISIS militants in the country of "targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!" in a Thursday post on Truth Social.
The strikes, which involved Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from a U.S. Navy vessel in the Gulf of Guinea, targeted two ISIS camps in Nigeria's Sokoto State and were done in coordination with the Nigerian military, according to The New York Times.
U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) confirmed the operation was carried out in coordination with Nigerian authorities, with an initial assessment indicating that "multiple ISIS terrorists" were killed.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth echoed the president's rhetoric, stating on X that "ISIS found out tonight — on Christmas" and hinting at "more to come," while expressing gratitude for Nigerian cooperation.
Hegseth also retweeted U.S. Department of War footage of a missile launching from the U.S. Navy ship.
The military action follows months of escalating warnings from the Trump administration regarding the situation in Nigeria, which it has framed as an issue of religious persecution against Christians.
In November, the U.S. State Department officially updated its designation for Nigeria as a "Country of Particular Concern," which took place days after Trump threatened U.S. military action and an end to U.S. aid in the country over the treatment of Christians there.
U.S. surveillance flights have reportedly been taking place over Nigeria since late November. Earlier this month, the U.S. State Department announced that the United States will restrict visas for Nigerians who have participated in or supported violations of religious freedom, a restriction that could also apply to family members.
Nigerian officials framed the strikes differently, emphasizing counterterrorism over religion, with Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar calling it a "joint operation" planned for some time using Nigerian intelligence, insisting it "has nothing to do with a particular religion." Information Minister Mohammed Idris described the targets as ISIS enclaves used for planning large-scale attacks.
Anti-Christian persecution advocates have repeatedly raised concerns about the level of violence in Nigeria.
Open Doors, a global Christian persecution watchdog, has warned in recent years that more Christians are killed in Nigeria for their faith each year than in all other countries combined. According to the organization's annual World Watch List research, 3,100 of the 4,476 Christians killed worldwide for their faith last year were in Nigeria alone.
Nigeria also leads the world in Christians abducted for their faith, with 2,830 out of 3,775 worldwide, according to the nonprofit.
The situation Christians face in Nigeria has drawn international attention, including from figures such as rapper Nicki Minaj, who addressed the United Nations in November after using her platform to speak out regarding her concerns about Christian persecution in Nigeria.
