The United States on Thursday released official footage showing air strikes carried out against Islamic State (ISIS) targets in northeast Nigeria, marking the first known US military action in the country under President Donald Trump’s current term.
The video, shared by the US Department of War on social media, shows a missile being launched from a US aircraft carrier. The strikes follow President Trump’s announcement of what he described as a “powerful and deadly” operation against ISIS militants operating in the region.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the strikes were conducted “at my direction as Commander in Chief” and targeted ISIS fighters whom he accused of attacking civilians, particularly Christians, in Nigeria. He alleged that the group had been “viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians” and said the attacks were carried out using precision weapons.
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“The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing,” Trump wrote, adding that his administration would not allow “radical Islamic terrorism to prosper.”
He concluded his post with a Christmas message that drew attention, saying, “May God bless our military, and Merry Christmas to all, including the dead terrorists.”
Nigeria responds as concerns rise over religious framing
The strikes come months after Trump repeatedly raised concerns about violence against Christians in Nigeria. In October and November, he publicly criticised the Nigerian government, claiming that Christians in the country faced an “existential threat.” He also warned at the time that the US could consider military action to protect Christian communities.
The decision to carry out the strikes has prompted mixed reactions. While some supporters welcomed the move as a show of force against extremist groups, others warned that framing Nigeria’s security crisis purely in religious terms could inflame existing sectarian tensions in Africa’s most populous country.
Nigeria has faced long-running security challenges involving multiple armed groups across different regions, including jihadist factions, criminal gangs and separatist militias. The Nigerian government and several independent analysts have rejected the narrative that the violence amounts to systematic religious persecution.
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Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the US action in a statement released early Friday. The ministry said Nigerian authorities remain engaged in “structured security cooperation” with international partners, including the United States, to counter terrorism and violent extremism.
“This has led to precision hits on terrorist targets in Nigeria by air strikes,” the statement said, adding that the strikes took place in the country’s northwest.
