President Donald Trump has said the US launched a 'powerful and deadly strike' against the Islamic State (IS) group in north-western Nigeria. 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 coordination with Nigeria in Sokoto state.
Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar confirmed that the operation was a 'joint operation' targeting 'terrorists' and clarifying that it 'has nothing to do with a particular religion'. Tuggar did not rule out further strikes, saying this depended on 'decisions to be taken by the leadership of the two countries'.
In his post on Truth Social, Trump emphasized that 'under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper'. This follows his earlier orders for military action against Islamist groups in Nigeria. Trump claimed, without evidence, that thousands of Christians have been killed due to rising violence fueled by jihadist groups like Boko Haram.
The Nigerian government has expressed its commitment to collaborating with international partners to combat the persistent threat of terrorism. Despite claims of religious targeting by IS, groups monitoring the violence have found no conclusive evidence that Christians are disproportionately affected.
The recent US airstrikes represent a significant escalation in military involvement in West Africa's complex security landscape, particularly as US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed gratitude for cooperation from Nigeria amid these ongoing issues.
Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar confirmed that the operation was a 'joint operation' targeting 'terrorists' and clarifying that it 'has nothing to do with a particular religion'. Tuggar did not rule out further strikes, saying this depended on 'decisions to be taken by the leadership of the two countries'.
In his post on Truth Social, Trump emphasized that 'under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper'. This follows his earlier orders for military action against Islamist groups in Nigeria. Trump claimed, without evidence, that thousands of Christians have been killed due to rising violence fueled by jihadist groups like Boko Haram.
The Nigerian government has expressed its commitment to collaborating with international partners to combat the persistent threat of terrorism. Despite claims of religious targeting by IS, groups monitoring the violence have found no conclusive evidence that Christians are disproportionately affected.
The recent US airstrikes represent a significant escalation in military involvement in West Africa's complex security landscape, particularly as US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed gratitude for cooperation from Nigeria amid these ongoing issues.
