President Donald Trump has said the US launched a 'powerful and deadly strike' against the Islamic State (IS) group in north-western Nigeria.
The US leader described IS as 'terrorist scum', accusing the group of 'targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians'.
Trump said the US military 'executed numerous perfect strikes', while the US Africa Command (Africom) later reported that Thursday's attack was carried out in cooperation with Nigeria in the Sokoto state.
Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar told the BBC it was a 'joint operation' targeting 'terrorists', and it 'has nothing to do with a particular religion'.
Tuggar did not rule out further strikes, saying this depended on 'decisions to be made by the leadership of the two countries'.
In his post on Truth Social late on Thursday, Trump asserted that 'under my leadership, our country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper'.
In November, Trump ordered the US military to prepare for action in Nigeria to tackle Islamist militant groups, but he did not specify which killings he was referring to - claims of a genocide against Nigeria's Christians have been circulating in recent months in some right-wing US circles.
Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed gratitude for Nigerian government support and cooperation, wishing everyone a 'Merry Christmas!'.
The US Department of Defense later posted an unclassified video showing a missile being launched from a military vessel.
On Friday, the Nigerian foreign ministry stated that the country remains engaged in structured security cooperation with international partners, including the US, to address the persistent threat of terrorism.
Groups monitoring violence in Nigeria assert that there is no evidence to suggest that Christians are being killed more than Muslims.
Adviser to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu emphasized the importance of joint military action against jihadist groups, loading it with a narrative of mutual cooperation.
Trump's narrative has sparked debate over religious persecution, with critics pointing out that jihadist groups like Boko Haram and IS West Africa Province have historically targeted both Muslims and Christians in their violence.
Reports indicate that security challenges in Nigeria affect individuals across faiths, and human rights groups dispute claims of a disproportionate targeting of Christians.
The conflict has seen a complex background of religious tension, with various groups engaging in violence over resources and ideology, making the situation in Nigeria deeply nuanced and challenging to categorize purely by religion.
As both nations pursue continued military and strategic cooperation, the outcomes of these recent strikes will be closely monitored as they unfold.
