President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that the US military carried out “powerful and deadly strikes” against Islamic State (IS) militants in Sokoto State, Nigeria.
The operation, confirmed by US Africa Command (Africom) as a joint effort with the Nigerian government, targeted what Trump described as “terrorist scum.”
While Trump framed the strikes as a defense of Nigeria’s Christian population claiming they face “genocide” Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar emphasized that the operation targeted terrorists regardless of religion.
Data from monitoring groups like Acled support this, noting that jihadist violence in the region has historically claimed more Muslim lives.
Despite these differing narratives, Nigerian officials welcomed the cooperation while maintaining the country’s sovereignty.
