U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States carried out what he described as a “powerful and lethal” military strike against camps belonging to the Islamic State (ISIS) in northwestern Nigeria, following attacks that, according to Trump, targeted “innocent Christians.”

In a post published on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said the operation was launched under his direct orders as Commander in Chief. “Tonight, under my direction, the United States launched a powerful and lethal strike against the ISIS terrorist scum in northwestern Nigeria,” he wrote. “I warned these terrorists beforehand that if they did not stop the massacre of Christians, all hell would break loose. Tonight, it did.”

Trump characterized the operation as a series of “numerous perfect strikes, like only the United States is capable of delivering,” adding that the bombings were directed by the Department of War.

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth publicly backed the operation, revealing that it involved the launch of around ten Tomahawk missiles from a U.S. Navy vessel deployed in the Gulf of Guinea. According to Hegseth, the strikes were conducted on Christmas night and demonstrated Washington’s readiness to act against extremist groups.

The U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) confirmed that the strikes targeted camps of militias allegedly affiliated with ISIS in Sokoto State, near Nigeria’s border with Niger, resulting in “multiple casualties.” AFRICOM Commander General Dagvin Anderson said the command is working closely with Nigerian and regional partners to enhance counterterrorism cooperation and address threats to civilian lives.

“The United States Africa Command continues to work with Nigerian and regional partners to strengthen counterterrorism cooperation and confront threats to innocent lives,” Anderson said in a statement.

Nigeria’s government and armed forces officially confirmed the joint operation with the United States. Lieutenant General Samaila Uba, spokesperson for the Nigerian Armed Forces, said precision strikes were conducted against identified foreign elements linked to ISIS operating in the country’s northwest.

“The operations were based on credible intelligence and careful operational planning, aimed at degrading the terrorists’ operational capacity while minimizing collateral damage,” Uba stated.

In a separate communiqué, Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the country maintains “structured security cooperation” with international partners, including the United States, to confront terrorism and violent extremism. The ministry stressed that the cooperation respects international law, Nigeria’s sovereignty, and shared commitments to regional and global security, including intelligence sharing and strategic coordination.

The strikes come amid heightened rhetoric from Trump regarding violence against Christians in Nigeria. In November, he accused extremist groups of carrying out a “massacre” of Christians in the country—claims made without presenting evidence—announced Nigeria’s designation as a “country of particular concern” over religious freedom violations, and warned of possible military intervention.

The latest operation marks a significant escalation in U.S. military involvement in West Africa under Trump’s leadership, underscoring Washington’s stated willingness to use force against ISIS-linked groups beyond traditional Middle Eastern theaters.