PALM BEACH, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 22: U.S. President Donald Trump takes questions as he introduced the creation of the “Trump-class” battleship throughout a press release to the media at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property on December 22, 2025 in Palm Seaside, Florida. Trump introduced the brand new class of ship will turn out to be the centerpiece of his “Golden Fleet” program to rebuild and strengthen the U.S. shipbuilding business. (Picture by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Photographs)
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The USA carried out a strike in opposition to Islamic State militants in northwest Nigeria on the request of Nigeria’s authorities, President Donald Trump and the U.S. navy stated on Thursday, claiming the group had been focusing on Christians within the area.
“Tonight, at my path as Commander in Chief, the USA launched a strong and lethal strike in opposition to ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who’ve been focusing on and viciously killing, primarily, harmless Christians, at ranges not seen for a few years, and even Centuries!,” Trump stated in a put up on Fact Social.
The U.S. navy’s Africa Command stated the strike was carried out in Sokoto state in coordination with the Nigerian authorities and killed a number of ISIS militants. An earlier assertion posted by the command on X stated the strike had been performed on the request of Nigerian authorities, however that assertion was later eliminated.
The strike comes after Trump in late October started warning that Christianity faces an “existential menace” in Nigeria and threatened to militarily intervene within the West African nation over what he says is its failure to cease violence focusing on Christian communities.
Reuters reported on Monday the U.S. had been conducting intelligence-gathering flights over giant components of Nigeria since late November.
Nigeria’s overseas ministry stated the strike was carried out as a part of ongoing safety cooperation with the USA, involving intelligence sharing and strategic coordination to focus on militant teams.
“This has led to precision hits on terrorist targets in Nigeria by air strikes within the North West,” the ministry stated in a put up on X.
A video posted by the Pentagon confirmed a minimum of one projectile launched from a warship. A U.S. protection official stated the strike focused a number of militants at recognized ISIS camps.
U.S. Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth on X thanked the Nigerian authorities for its assist and cooperation and added: “Extra to return…”
Nigeria’s authorities has stated armed teams goal each Muslims and Christians, and U.S. claims that Christians face persecution don’t signify the complicated safety state of affairs and ignore efforts to safeguard spiritual freedom. Nevertheless it has agreed to work with the U.S. to bolster its forces in opposition to militant teams.
The nation’s inhabitants is cut up between Muslims residing primarily within the north and Christians within the south.
Police stated earlier on Thursday a suspected suicide bomber killed a minimum of 5 individuals and injured 35 others at a mosque in Nigeria’s northeast, one other area troubled by Islamist insurgents.
In a Christmas message posted on X earlier, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu known as for peace in his nation, “particularly between people of differing spiritual beliefs.”
He additionally stated: “I stand dedicated to doing every thing inside my energy to enshrine spiritual freedom in Nigeria and to guard Christians, Muslims, and all Nigerians from violence.”
Trump issued his assertion on the strike on Christmas Day whereas he was at his Palm Seaside, Florida, Mar-a-Lago Membership, the place he has been spending the vacation. He had no public occasions through the day and was final seen by the reporters touring with him on Wednesday evening.
The U.S. navy final week launched separate large-scale strikes in opposition to dozens of Islamic State targets in Syria, after Trump vowed to hit again within the wake of a suspected ISIS assault on U.S. personnel within the nation.
