President Trump listens during the Mexican Border Defense Medal ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House on December 15, 2025 in Washington, DC.
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Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images, North America
President Trump announced late Thursday that the United States had struck a “fatal blow” against Islamic State militants in northwestern Nigeria, who he said had been killing Christians in the area.
On Christmas night mail on Truth Social, Trump said the strike was aimed at “ISIS terrorists in northwestern Nigeria who are targeting and viciously killing primarily innocent Christians at levels not seen for years, even centuries!”
“I previously warned these terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughter of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight that happened,” he said, adding that US forces had “conducted many precision strikes.”
“Under my leadership, our country will not allow radical Islamic terrorism to flourish,” the president wrote. “May God bless our army and Merry Christmas to everyone, including the dead terrorists who will be many more if their massacre of Christians continues.”
Announcement follows numerous US strikes last week against ISIS targets in Syria in response to actions by US Central Command described as targeted killing two American soldiers and a translator by an ISIS militant.
Trump has accused Nigeria of failing to stop the persecution of Christians in the country, and last month he said: he ordered The Pentagon has drawn up plans for possible military action against Nigeria and warned that the US would suspend aid to the West African country.
Nigeria is roughly evenly divided between Christians and Muslims. The Nigerian government says attacks by militant groups have less to do with religion and more to do with where the groups are located.
Last month, Nigeria said it welcomed U.S. assistance in fighting the insurgency, but Nigeria said its territorial integrity must be respected. Reuters.
This is stated in a message from the US Africa Command (AFRICOM). statement he “carried out a strike at the request of Nigerian authorities in Sokoto State, killing several ISIS terrorists.”
IN publish on XDefense Minister Pete Hegseth stated: ” @DeptofWar
always ready, which is why ISIS found out about it tonight – on Christmas Day. That’s not all… Grateful for the support and cooperation of the Nigerian government.”
Nigerian officials have not yet officially commented on the reports of strikes.
