By Muhammad Mamman
President Donald J. Trump has announced that the United States carried out targeted military strikes against ISIS-affiliated militants in north-west Nigeria, marking a sharp escalation in American counter-terrorism operations in West Africa.
In a late-night statement published on Truth Social, the U.S. President said the operation was conducted under his direct orders as Commander-in-Chief, describing it as “a powerful and deadly strike” aimed at extremist elements responsible for repeated attacks in the region.
According to Mr Trump, the militants had been involved in brutal assaults on local communities, particularly targeting Christian populations. He said he had previously warned the group of consequences if the violence continued.
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS terrorist scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have 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 statement read in part.
He added that the “Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes,” asserting that the U.S. would not allow extremist groups to flourish under his leadership.
While the President praised the American military, he also issued a stern warning to the militants, saying there would be further consequences if attacks on civilians persisted.
As of the time of reporting, U.S. defence officials had not released independent details of the operation, and Nigerian authorities had yet to issue a response regarding the strikes.
