The United States carried out airstrikes against Islamic State (ISIS) militants in northwest Nigeria on Christmas Day, marking the first known U.S. military action in the country under President Donald Trump’s current term.
The strikes, confirmed by both Washington and Abuja, have drawn international attention to Nigeria’s long-running security challenges and raised questions about the future of U.S. involvement in the region.
Why the U.S. acted
President Donald Trump announced the operation on December 25, saying the strikes targeted ISIS fighters he accused of “viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians.” In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump described the action as a “powerful and deadly strike” and warned that further military action would follow if attacks on Christians continue.
The strikes come after months of increasingly sharp rhetoric from Trump over religious violence in Nigeria. In November, he warned of possible U.S. military intervention if Nigeria failed to address what he described as the persecution of Christians. He had also previously designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” over religious freedom issues and threatened to cut U.S. aid.
According to U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), the airstrikes were carried out in Sokoto State in coordination with Nigerian authorities and resulted in the deaths of multiple ISIS militants. A U.S. defense official, speaking anonymously, said Tomahawk cruise missiles were launched from a U.S. Navy vessel in the Gulf of Guinea, hitting two ISIS camps. Initial assessments indicated no civilian casualties, though full details have not been released.
Nigeria’s response
Nigeria’s foreign ministry acknowledged the strikes, describing them as part of “ongoing security cooperation” with the United States, including intelligence sharing and strategic coordination against terrorism. The ministry emphasized that the operation involved precision strikes on terrorist targets and reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to protecting civilians “irrespective of faith or ethnicity.”
Nigeria has battled insecurity for years, facing threats from Boko Haram, ISIS-affiliated factions, and armed bandit groups. While violence has affected both Muslim and Christian communities, driven by a mix of extremist ideology, ethnic tensions, competition over land and resources, and criminal banditry, Trump has framed recent attacks as primarily targeting Christians. Nigerian authorities and independent analysts maintain that the conflict is complex and not solely religious in nature.
What comes next
As of December 26, there have been no reports of retaliatory attacks or an escalation of violence following the U.S. strikes. However, the operation signals a more assertive U.S. posture in Nigeria under the current administration and could reshape counterterrorism dynamics in West Africa.
Trump has indicated that further action is possible if attacks continue, suggesting the strikes may not be a one-off event. For Nigeria, the challenge will be balancing foreign military cooperation with domestic sensitivities around sovereignty, civilian protection, and the broader roots of insecurity.
For now, the Christmas Day airstrikes underline the growing international dimension of Nigeria’s security crisis — and open a new chapter in U.S.–Nigeria counterterrorism relations, with close scrutiny likely on what steps follow next.
