Trump Announces Missile Strikes Against Nigeria: ‘Merry Christmas to All, Including the Dead Terrorists’

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U.S. Africa Command (Africom) confirmed the Christmas strikes in a statement to The Hill, saying the military action was “at the request of Nigerian authorities in Soboto State killing multiple ISIS terrorists.”

“Lethal strikes against ISIS demonstrate the strength of our military and our commitment to eliminating terrorist threats against Americans at home and abroad,” Africom said in its statement.

Trump labeled Nigeria a “country of particular concern” in November. Religious violence has been a growing concern in the Muslim-majority country in recent years, with terrorist groups like ISIS, ISWAP and Boko Haram responsible for nearly 17,000 civilian deaths between October 2019 and September 2024, according to data compiled by the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa (ORFA). The rate of civilian kidnappings also rose notably during that time period.

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