Why Donald Trump ordered powerful strikes on ISIS ‘terrorist scum’ in Nigeria
After the strikes in Nigeria, US President Donald Trump said that he will “not allow radical Islamic terrorism to prosper” under his leadership.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that he ordered powerful strikes on ISIS targets, which he referred to as “terrorist scum”, in northwest Nigeria. The Republican said that the group had been targeting Christians in the region.
The US strikes came after the Republican warned the West African nation of military intervention in October and November, saying the Christians there face an “existential threat” that amounted to “genocide.”
‘Strikes carried out against those targeting Christians’
According to Trump, the strikes were carried out against militants who had been targeting and “viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians".
“I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was. The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing,” a part of Trump's post on Truth Social read.
The president said that he will “not allow radical Islamic terrorism to prosper” under his leadership.
Also read: ‘Merry Christmas to dead terrorists’: Donald Trump as US strikes ISIS in Nigeria
Nigerian government confirms cooperation with US
Nigeria's Foreign Ministry said that the strikes were carried out as part of the ongoing security cooperation between Nigeria and the US. This involves intelligence sharing and strategic cooperation to target militant groups.
An X post by the ministry confirmed that the strikes were part of security cooperation aimed at addressing the “threat of terrorism and violent extremism.”
The ministry further said that terrorist violence targeted at Christians, Muslims or any other community remains “an affront” to its values.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth took to X to thank the Nigerian government for support and cooperation to conduct strikes. He reiterated that the “President was clear last month” about the killing of innocent Christians must come to an end.
"The Department of War is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight — on Christmas. More to come," Hegseth wrote in the post.
Also read: 5 killed in explosion during prayer at Nigeria mosque; suicide bombing suspected | World News
The Pentagon also posted a video showing at least one projectile launching from a warship.
In a post on Truth Social in November, Trump called for action against the “slaughter” in Nigeria and warned og military action if it continues.
Earlier, Nigeria dismissed Trump's claims with the Nigerian President Bola Ahmed clarifying that the country's constitution protects its citizens of all faiths. “The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality,” the post read. He also affirmed that the country is committed to working with the US to protect all faiths.
Nigeria's population is split between Muslims living primarily in the north and Christians in the south.
