Following through on threats [9] made last month, President Donald Trump announced Dec. 25 that he ordered air-strikes against Islamic State targets in Nigeria, ostensibly in retaliation for the group's targeting of Christian communities. "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, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!" Trump wrote [14] on Truth Social.
Trump's statement did not specify where the military action took place, though Pentagon's Africa Command (AFRICOM [15]) later stated [10] that strikes took place in "Soboto State" —an obvious misspelling [16] of Sokoto [11] state, in northwestern Nigeria. AFRICOM did not specify how many strikes took place, nor did it provide any early damage assessment, other than saying that the operation killed "multiple terrorists."
The strikes consisted [17] of Tomahawk cruise missiles fired from a US Navy ship. Nigeria has confirmed [12] the bombings, stating that they were conducted in partnership between the two countries. Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar told [18] the BBC it was a "joint operation" coordinated with his government, but added that the strikes had "nothing to do with a particular religion." Tuggar stated that planning for the strikes had been in motion for "quite some time," alluding to the possibility of future such air-strikes.
A resident in Jabo town shared [19] with AFP that locals were surprised by the air-strikes, noting they had not known of any militant attacks in the area within the past two years. Others in neighboring districts stated that two of the strikes targeted Warriya and Alkassim villages, both known to house militant camps. (LWJ [20], Jurist [21])
