In a significant military operation, the United States executed targeted airstrikes against Islamic State group militants in Nigeria’s northwestern Sokoto State on Thursday night. The action was conducted in close coordination with Nigerian authorities through established security cooperation channels.
Former President Donald Trump publicly claimed responsibility for authorizing the operation via his Truth Social platform, characterizing the intervention as a decisive response to escalating violence against Christian communities. “Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria,” Trump stated, emphasizing that the militants had been “targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years.”
The operation targeted elements of Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP), also known as Lakurawa, which maintains operational bases in forested border regions between northern Nigeria and Niger. These groups have been implicated in both terrorist activities and widespread banditry across the region.
Nigeria’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the collaborative nature of the operation, noting that intelligence sharing between the two nations facilitated “precision hits on terrorist targets in Nigeria by air strikes in the North West.” This confirmation came despite the unusual involvement of a former president in announcing current military operations.
The strikes occurred against a complex backdrop of intercommunal violence. While religious tensions have drawn international attention, particularly from American conservative groups concerned about Christian persecution, Nigerian officials and analysts emphasize that the conflict involves multiple dimensions including competition over natural resources, ethnic tensions, and criminal banditry affecting both Muslim and Christian communities.
The timing followed a recent Christmas Eve suicide bombing at a mosque in northeast Nigeria’s Borno State that killed five people and wounded thirty others—an attack attributed to Boko Haram militants who have operated in the region for nearly two decades.
Despite the complex dynamics underlying regional violence, both Nigerian and US authorities have demonstrated continued commitment to security cooperation targeting militant groups operating within Nigeria’s borders.