{"id":56654,"date":"2025-12-26T12:28:12","date_gmt":"2025-12-26T12:28:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/u-s-launches-airstrikes-against-islamic-state-militants-in-northwest-nigeria\/"},"modified":"2025-12-26T12:29:57","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T12:29:57","slug":"u-s-launches-airstrikes-against-islamic-state-militants-in-northwest-nigeria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/u-s-launches-airstrikes-against-islamic-state-militants-in-northwest-nigeria\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S.  launches strikes against Islamic State militants in northwest Nigeria"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Trump said the military action was launched \u201cat my direction as commander in chief\u201d and described it as a \u201cpowerful and deadly strike\u201d targeting Islamic State fighters who he claimed had been attacking and killing \u201cprimarily, innocent Christians\u201d in the region. The president made the announcement in a post on his Truth Social platform following the operation. <\/p>\n<p>The U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) confirmed that the strikes were conducted in Sokoto State and coordinated with Nigerian authorities. According to military officials, the airstrikes killed multiple militants at known ISIS camps. An initial AFRICOM statement that the operation was carried out at Nigeria\u2019s request was later removed from social media. <\/p>\n<p>U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed appreciation for Nigerian cooperation and hinted at further actions, posting, \u201cMore to come\u2026\u201d on social media. <\/p>\n<p>The strikes come after weeks of heightened U.S. concern over violence in Nigeria. In late October, Trump warned that Christianity faced an \u201cexistential threat\u201d in the country and threatened U.S. military action unless attacks against Christian communities stopped. Reuters reports that U.S. military intelligence flights have been conducted over large parts of Nigeria since late November. <\/p>\n<p>The Nigerian government has stressed that armed groups target both Muslims and Christians, rejecting claims that violence is solely religiously motivated, and emphasised that the situation reflects a broader and complex security crisis. <\/p>\n<p>Nevertheless, it confirmed its engagement in security cooperation with the United States, including intelligence sharing and joint efforts to counter militants. <\/p>\n<p>The announcement of the strikes coincided with reports of another violent incident in Nigeria where a suspected suicide bombing at a mosque in the nation\u2019s northeast killed at least five people and injured dozens more, highlighting the persistent threat posed by extremist groups in the region. <\/p>\n<p>In a Christmas message earlier in the day, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu called for peace and religious freedom, reaffirming his commitment to protect all citizens from violence regardless of faith. <\/p>\n<p>The U.S. action in Nigeria follows other recent American military operations targeting ISIS affiliates in the Middle East and reflects Trump\u2019s continued focus on combating extremist threats abroad.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-99744\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/webp\/382eb510-e20e-11f0-86ca-d5a596a95198.png.webp\" alt=\"The US defence department posted a short video that appears to show a missile being launched from a military vessel\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The United States (U.S.) carried out strikes against Islamic State (ISIS) militants in northwest Nigeria, President Donald Trump and U.S. military officials announced on Thursday, in what marks a significant escalation of U.S. involvement in the West African nation\u2019s fight against Islamist insurgents. 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