Overview
- President Donald Trump said U.S. forces conducted December 25 strikes in Sokoto state targeting ISIS‑linked militants at Nigeria’s request.
- U.S. Africa Command said the operation killed multiple fighters, while the Pentagon released a launch video from a warship and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth indicated follow‑on actions are likely.
- Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar described the mission as a coordinated, precision effort against terrorists and rejected portraying it as tied to any faith.
- Officials have not provided full details on targets or casualties, and reports of Tomahawk missile use from a U.S. Navy ship have not been officially confirmed.
- The strikes follow weeks of U.S. warnings, intelligence flights over Nigeria, and Washington’s designation of the country as a religious‑freedom ‘country of particular concern.’