U.S. and Nigeria Collaborate on Strikes Against Islamic State Militants in Northwest Nigeria
On Christmas Day, coordinated strikes targeted Islamic State militants in northwest Nigeria as part of ongoing counterterrorism cooperation between the U.S. and Nigeria. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu authorized the strikes, with Nigeria's foreign minister Yusuf Tuggar confirming that Nigeria provided intelligence to the U.S. ahead of the operations.
Tuggar also noted that the strikes would be an ongoing process involving other countries, though no further details were provided. Prior to the strikes, Tuggar spoke twice with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, including a call 19 minutes before and another 5 minutes after the strikes began.
U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on Truth Social that he directed the strikes, describing the targets as ISIS terrorists attacking Christians and stating that multiple precise strikes were carried out. Trump had previously expressed willingness to intervene militarily in Nigeria in response to attacks on Christians.
This event highlights the continuing partnership between the U.S. and Nigeria in addressing militant threats in the region.
