Overview
- U.S. Africa Command said it conducted the operation in coordination with Nigerian authorities, and Nigeria’s foreign ministry called it a joint counterterrorism action.
- Initial U.S. assessments report “multiple” ISIS fighters killed, while officials have not provided precise casualty figures or information on any civilian impact.
- News outlets, citing U.S. officials, reported Tomahawk cruise missiles were launched from a Navy ship in the Gulf of Guinea, and the Pentagon posted a brief video showing missile launches.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth thanked Nigerian authorities for cooperation and signaled potential follow-on strikes, as AFRICOM’s Gen. Dagvin Anderson emphasized expanded counterterrorism cooperation.
- Trump framed the action as a response to killings of Christians, a characterization Nigerian officials and analysts dispute as they describe a wider security crisis affecting multiple communities.