PALM BEACH: President Donald Trump stated US forces performed “highly effective and lethal” strikes on Thursday (Dec 25) towards Islamic State group militants in northwestern Nigeria, weeks after he warned towards any systemic assault on Christians within the nation.
The Nigerian overseas ministry early Friday confirmed the air strikes, describing them as “precision hits on terrorist targets” within the nation.
The Division of Protection’s US Africa Command stated “a number of ISIS terrorists” had been killed in an assault in Sokoto state performed on the request of Nigerian authorities, utilizing an acronym for the Islamic State group.
Few particulars had been offered and it was not clear how many individuals had been killed.
Trump stated he had “beforehand warned these Terrorists that if they didn’t cease the slaughtering of Christians, there can be hell to pay, and tonight, there was.”
“MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, together with the lifeless Terrorists, of which there shall be many extra if their slaughter of Christians continues,” he wrote on his Fact Social platform.
US defence officers later posted video of what gave the impression to be the nighttime launch of a missile from the deck of a battleship flying the US flag.
The assault is the primary by US forces in Nigeria below Trump, and comes after the Republican chief unexpectedly berated the west African nation in October and November, saying Christians there confronted an “existential menace” that amounted to “genocide” amid Nigeria’s myriad armed conflicts.
That diplomatic offensive was welcomed by some however interpreted by others as inflaming non secular tensions in Africa’s most populous nation, which has seen bouts of sectarian violence prior to now.
Nigeria’s authorities and unbiased analysts reject framing the nation’s violence when it comes to non secular persecution – a story lengthy utilized by the Christian proper in the US and Europe.
However Trump, spotlighting what his administration says is world persecution of Christians, burdened final month that Washington was able to take army motion in Nigeria to counter such killings.
