US carries out deadly strikes on Islamic State targets in Nigeria, Trump says

Former US President Donald Trump has said American forces carried out what he described as “powerful and deadly” strikes against Islamic State (IS) militants in north-western Nigeria.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the US military had executed “numerous perfect strikes” against the group, which he labelled “terrorist scum”. He accused IS of killing civilians, claiming Christians were the primary targets.

US Africa Command (Africom) later confirmed that the operation took place on Thursday in Nigeria’s Sokoto State and was conducted in coordination with Nigerian authorities.

Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, told the BBC the action was a joint operation aimed at “terrorists” and stressed it was not linked to any religion. He said the strike had been planned for some time and relied on Nigerian intelligence, adding that further operations would depend on decisions by leaders of both countries.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth thanked the Nigerian government for its cooperation, while the Pentagon released a short video appearing to show a missile launch. Nigeria’s foreign ministry later confirmed that air strikes in the North West had resulted in “precision hits on terrorist targets” as part of ongoing security cooperation with international partners.

Trump has previously claimed Nigeria’s Christians face an “existential threat” and earlier designated the country a “country of particular concern” over religious freedom, a move that can trigger US sanctions. Nigerian officials have rejected those claims, insisting violence affects people of all faiths and regions.

Independent monitors and human rights groups say there is no evidence that Christians are being disproportionately targeted, noting that most victims of jihadist violence in Nigeria over the past decade have been Muslims. Islamist groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province have killed thousands, particularly in the north-east, while central Nigeria has also seen deadly clashes between herders and farming communities.

The strikes in Nigeria come days after the US announced it had carried out large-scale attacks against Islamic State targets in Syria, hitting more than 70 locations with fighter jets, helicopters and artillery.