President Donald Trump announced that U.S. forces carried out airstrikes in northwest Nigeria on Christmas night, targeting ISIS-affiliated militants accused of carrying out brutal attacks against Christian communities.
The strikes, conducted in coordination with Nigerian authorities, mark a significant escalation in the administration’s response to religiously motivated violence in the West African nation.
“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 wrote on Truth Social, accusing the group of “viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians.”
He warned that further action would follow if the violence continued, declaring that under his leadership, the United States “will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper.”
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth confirmed the operation was carried out with Nigerian government support and framed the strike as a direct response to Trump’s prior warning that attacks on Christians must end.
“The @DeptofWar is always ready,” Hegseth wrote on X. “ISIS found out tonight—on Christmas. More to come.”
The airstrikes followed a wave of high-profile attacks on Christian institutions in Nigeria.
In November, gunmen stormed the Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State, killing two worshippers and abducting dozens.
Days later, armed attackers raided St. Mary’s School in Niger State, kidnapping more than 300 students and staff.
While some victims escaped in the days that followed, at least 253 students and 12 teachers remain captive, according to local officials, per Fox News.
Alongside the military action, the Trump administration rolled out a new visa-restriction policy targeting individuals accused of orchestrating or supporting religious violence.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the policy allows the U.S. to deny visas to those who have “directed, authorized, significantly supported, participated in, or carried out violations of religious freedom,” with restrictions potentially extending to immediate family members.
“The United States is taking decisive action in response to the mass killings and violence against Christians by radical Islamic terrorists,” Rubio said, emphasizing that the policy is intended to hold perpetrators accountable beyond the battlefield.
U.S. Africa Command confirmed that the Christmas-night strikes killed multiple ISIS militants and were conducted following weeks of intelligence-gathering flights over Nigeria.
According to The Telegraph, the operation was launched at the request of Nigerian authorities, despite ongoing disagreements between Washington and Abuja over whether Christians are being specifically targeted or caught in broader sectarian violence.
Nigeria’s government has argued that armed groups attack both Muslims and Christians and that the security situation is complex.
However, the country has agreed to cooperate with the United States to strengthen efforts against ISIS and other militant groups operating in the region.
The Nigeria strikes come as the U.S. has intensified its global campaign against ISIS. Earlier this month, American forces launched airstrikes across Syria following a deadly ambush that killed two U.S. soldiers and an interpreter.
Trump described those operations as “very serious retaliation,” underscoring what officials say is a consistent strategy of deterrence and force.
Administration officials argue that combining targeted military action with diplomatic pressure and visa restrictions sends a clear message to extremist groups worldwide.
As Nigeria continues to grapple with sectarian violence, the strikes signal a renewed U.S. willingness to intervene when religious persecution escalates into mass-casualty attacks against religious minorities abroad.
