US launches deadly strikes against Islamic State in Nigeria, says Trump

President **Donald Trump announced that the United States has carried out “powerful and deadly” military strikes against Islamic State militants in northwest Nigeria, marking a significant escalation of U.S. involvement in West Africa’s security crisis. Trump made the announcement late Thursday on his social media platform, declaring that the strikes were directed at extremists he accused of “targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians,” and warning that “there would be hell to pay” if such violence continued.

According to U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), the operation took place in Sokoto State and was carried out in coordination with Nigerian authorities, reflecting ongoing security cooperation between the two countries. Initial assessments indicate that multiple Islamic State militants were killed in what Pentagon officials described as “precision strikes.” A video shared by the U.S. Department of War showed a missile launch from a U.S. vessel, underscoring the military nature of the attack.

Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the strikes as part of structured efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism, emphasizing intelligence sharing and strategic collaboration with the United States, and stating they were conducted “consistent with international law” to hit terrorist targets. Nigerian officials, however, have pushed back against the framing that violence in the country is primarily religiously motivated, stressing that both Christians and Muslims have suffered in the broader insurgency.
The announcement comes amid intensifying militant attacks across Nigeria by groups including Boko Haram and Islamic State affiliates such as the Islamic State West Africa Province and the Lakurawa faction in the northwest. Trump’s decision to authorize strikes follows months of public criticism of Nigeria’s handling of extremist violence and moves by the U.S. to restrict visas for Nigerians implicated in religiously charged attacks.