US launches strike against Islamic State militants in northwest Nigeria
President Donald Trump pumps his fist at Christmas Eve dinner at his Mar-a-Lago club, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo)US president Donald Trump has said the United States carried out a military strike against militants linked to ISIS in north-west Nigeria, following a request from Nigerian authorities.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he ordered the operation “as Commander in Chief”, claiming the strike targeted militants who had been attacking Christian communities. In his words, the US launched “a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS terrorist scum in northwest Nigeria”.
Trump said the groups had been “viciously killing… innocent Christians”, and added that he had earlier warned them that “there would be hell to pay”. He wrote that “tonight, there was”, and praised what he called “numerous perfect strikes”.
According to Trump’s post, the action was carried out by the “Department of War”, and he said the United States would not allow “radical Islamic terrorism to prosper” under his leadership. He ended the statement by saying: “May God bless our military, and Merry Christmas to all.”
US official said the strike was conducted at the request of the Nigerian authorities.
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Nigeria’s government has said armed groups target both Muslims and Christians, and US claims that Christians face persecution do not represent a complex security situation and ignore efforts to safeguard religious freedom.
But it has agreed to work with the US to bolster its forces against militant groups. The country’s population is split between Muslims living primarily in the north and Christians in the south.
The president issued his statement on Christmas Day while he was at his Palm Beach, Florida, Mar-a-Lago Club, where he has been spending the holiday. He had no public events during the day and was last seen by the reporters traveling with him on Wednesday night.