Name: Trump says ISIS strikes in Nigeria were to protect Christians
Uploaded: 2025-12-27T03:41:38.636Z
Duration: 2 min 16 s
Description: The U.S. Defence Department announced it had executed targeted strikes in northwestern Nigeria aimed at ISIS militants. U.S. President Donald Trump said the Christmas Day strikes were about protecting Christians in the area, a claim Nigeria’s foreign affairs minister has since disputed.

The U.S. Defence Department announced it had executed targeted strikes in northwestern Nigeria aimed at ISIS militants. U.S. President Donald Trump said the Christmas Day strikes were about protecting Christians in the area, a claim Nigeria’s foreign affairs minister has since disputed.

Washington

The U.S. Department of War released video of strikes against ISIS targets in northwestern Nigeria, which Donald Trump described as actions to protect Christians from terrorist attacks. Trump stated on social media that the strikes were a response to ongoing violence against Christians, warning of further consequences for continued attacks.

However, Nigerian officials emphasized that the joint U.S.-Nigeria operation was not solely to protect Christians, but aimed at safeguarding all Nigerians and the wider region. The country continues to face violence from multiple armed groups affecting both Christians and Muslims, as well as criminal gangs and kidnappings. Neither country disclosed specific targets of the strikes, and the U.S. defense secretary indicated more actions may follow.

Trump says ISIS strikes in Nigeria were to protect Christians

The U.S. Department of War, releasing new video of strikes targeting sites in northwestern Nigeria, launched from a Navy ship in the Gulf of Guinea, against what Donald Trump called ISIS terrorist scum. In a social media post, Trump said the strikes were deadly, adding, 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. In an interview with CNN, Nigeria's minister of foreign affairs said the strikes were a collaborative effort between the U.S. government and the West African nation, but he disputed the notion that it was to protect Christians alone. This is not about religion. It is about Nigerians, innocent civilians, and the wider region as a whole. Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. For months, Trump, along with some online influencers and Republican politicians, have claimed Christians were being slaughtered en masse in Nigeria. And in November, the U.S. military was ordered to prepare to intervene. Do you envisage U.S. troops on the ground? Could be. I mean, a lot of things I envisage. A lot of things. They're killing the Christians. They're killing them in very large numbers. We're not going to allow that to happen. While the violence in Nigeria is not disputed, Trump's characterization is. The country has for years been dealing with a security crisis from multiple armed groups that have killed thousands of both Christians and Muslims. The country is also facing brutal criminal gangs and kidnappings for ransom. On Christmas Eve, five people were killed in a suspected suicide bombing at a mosque in northeastern Nigeria. The terrorist groups have been targeting all Nigerians and U.S. President's Christian genocide or persecution narrative is unfortunately a fundamental misrepresentation of what is happening on the ground. In the town of Jabo, local residents gathered to inspect an area of scorched grass at the site of one of the strikes. Neither country has said what specifically was hit. In a statement online, the U.S. defense secretary warned there would be more to come. Caroline Barkoot, CBC News, London. . . . .

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