Washington: President Donald Trump announced that the United States military carried out a series of "deadly" airstrikes Thursday night against Islamic State operatives in northwestern Nigeria, citing the group's ongoing violence against Christian communities.

In a statement posted to his Truth Social platform, Trump said the operation was conducted under his direct orders as commander in chief. He characterised the targets as "ISIS Terrorist scum" and accused them of the systematic slaughter of innocent Christians at levels he claimed were unprecedented.

“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,” Trump wrote. The president further lauded the "Department of War," the Trump administration’s renamed Department of Defence, for executing what he described as "numerous perfect strikes."

The U.S. National Counterterrorism Centre identifies the targeted group as ISIS-West Africa (ISIS-WA), an affiliate formed in 2015 following a split from Boko Haram. According to U.S. assessments, the branch frequently targets regional military forces, government infrastructure, and civilian defence groups, while also carrying out sectarian attacks specifically aimed at Christians and aid workers.
The Nigerian government on Friday confirmed that the United States military conducted "precision hits on terrorist targets" within its borders, following a Christmas Eve operation announced by President Donald Trump.

In a statement released early Friday, the Nigerian Foreign Ministry characterised the airstrikes as the result of ongoing "structured security cooperation" with international allies. The ministry emphasised that the collaboration with Washington is a key part of the administration's efforts to tackle the "persistent threat of terrorism and violent extremism" in the region.

The Nigerian operation follows a separate, large-scale military action on Dec. 19, when U.S. and Jordanian forces launched strikes against more than 70 Islamic State targets in Syria. That operation, which involved over 100 precision-guided munitions, was characterised by U.S. Central Command as "peace through strength" and served as retaliation for a deadly ambush on a U.S.-Syrian convoy in Palmyra earlier in the month.

In his Christmas Eve message, Trump reiterated his administration’s hardline stance against extremist groups. “Under my leadership, our country will not allow radical Islamic terrorism to prosper,” he stated, adding a warning that similar strikes would continue if the violence against Christians did not cease.

With inputs from ANI