Chicago – December 26, 2025
President Donald Trump announced late Thursday that the United States carried out a “deadly strike” against Islamic State militants operating in northwest Nigeria, following reports that the group had been attacking and killing Christians in the region.
In a Christmas night post on Truth Social, Trump said the operation targeted “ISIS terrorist scum” responsible for violent attacks on Christian communities, noting that the killings had reached levels not seen in years. He stated that he had previously warned the militants to stop their actions or face severe consequences and said that on Thursday night, U.S. forces delivered “numerous perfect strikes.”
Under his leadership, Trump wrote, the U.S. will not allow radical Islamic extremism to thrive. He praised the American military and issued a sharp warning that further action would follow if the killing of Christians continued.
The announcement comes shortly after a series of U.S. strikes last week against ISIS targets in Syria, carried out in response to what U.S. Central Command described as the targeted killing of two American soldiers and an interpreter by an ISIS gunman.
Trump has repeatedly criticized Nigeria’s handling of Christian persecution and recently said he directed the Pentagon to prepare potential military plans while also threatening to suspend U.S. aid to the country.
Nigeria’s population is split roughly evenly between Christians and Muslims. However, Nigerian officials maintain that militant violence is driven more by geography and regional instability than by religious divisions.
