WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump mentioned Thursday that the U.S. launched a “highly effective and lethal” strike in opposition to Islamic State forces in Nigeria, after spending weeks accusing the West African nation’s authorities of failing to rein in the persecution of Christians.
In a Christmas night publish on his social media web site, Trump didn’t present particulars or point out the extent of the harm attributable to the strikes.
A Protection Division official, who insisted on anonymity to debate particulars not made public, mentioned the U.S. labored with Nigeria to hold out the strikes, and that they’d been authorized by that nation’s authorities.
Nigeria’s Ministry of International Affairs mentioned the cooperation included change of intelligence and strategic coordination in methods “in step with worldwide legislation, mutual respect for sovereignty and shared commitments to regional and international safety.”
Trump mentioned the airstrikes had been launched in opposition to Islamic State militants “who’ve been concentrating on and viciously killing, primarily, harmless Christians.” Residents and safety analysts have mentioned Nigeria’s security crisis affects both Christians, predominant in the south, and Muslims, who’re the bulk within the north.
“Terrorist violence in any kind, whether or not directed at Christians, Muslims or different communities, stays an affront to Nigeria’s values and to worldwide peace and safety,” Nigeria’s Ministry of International Affairs mentioned.
Nigeria is battling a number of armed teams, together with at the least two affiliated with the Islamic State — an offshoot of the Boko Haram extremist group referred to as the Islamic State West Africa Province within the northeast, and the less-known Lakurawa group distinguished within the northwestern states like Sokoto the place the gangs use giant swathes of forests connecting states as hideouts.
Safety analysts mentioned the goal of the U.S. strikes could possibly be the Lakurawa group, which within the final 12 months has more and more grow to be deadly within the area, usually concentrating on distant communities and safety forces.
“Lakurawa is a gaggle that’s truly controlling territories in Nigeria, in Sokoto state and in different states like Kebbi,” mentioned Malik Samuel, a Nigerian safety researcher at Good Governance Africa. “Within the northwest, there was the incursion of violent extremist teams which might be ideologically pushed,” he mentioned, blaming the incursion on the close to absence of the state and safety forces in sizzling spots.
Nigeria’s authorities has beforehand mentioned in response to Trump’s criticisms that individuals of many religions, not simply Christians, have suffered assaults by the hands of extremists teams.
Trump ordered the Pentagon final month to start planning for potential army motion in Nigeria to attempt to curb the so-called Christian persecution. The State Division lately introduced it could limit visas for Nigerians and their relations concerned in killing Christians there.
And the U.S. recently designated Nigeria a “nation of specific concern” underneath the Worldwide Non secular Freedom Act.
Trump mentioned the U.S. protection officers had “executed quite a few good strikes, as solely the US is able to doing” and added that “our Nation won’t enable Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper.”
Nigeria’s inhabitants of 220 million is break up virtually equally between Christians and Muslims. The nation has lengthy confronted insecurity from varied fronts together with the Boko Haram extremist group, which seeks to determine its radical interpretation of Islamic legislation and has additionally focused Muslims it deems not Muslim sufficient.
However assaults in Nigeria usually have various motives. There are religiously motivated ones concentrating on each Christians and Muslims, clashes between farmers and herders over dwindling assets, communal rivalries, secessionist groups and ethnic clashes.
The U.S. security footprint has diminished in Africa, the place army partnerships have both been scaled down or canceled. U.S. forces possible must be drawn from different elements of the world for any larger-scale army intervention in Nigeria.
Trump has nonetheless saved up the stress as Nigeria confronted a series of attacks on schools and churches in violence that consultants and residents say targets both Christians and Muslims.
Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth posted Thursday evening on X: “The President was clear final month: the killing of harmless Christians in Nigeria (and elsewhere) should finish.”
Hegseth mentioned that U.S. army forces are “at all times prepared, so ISIS came upon tonight — on Christmas” and added, “Extra to come back…Grateful for Nigerian authorities help & cooperation” earlier than signing off, “Merry Christmas!”
Related Press author Konstantin Toropin contributed from Washington, and Chinedu Asadu from Abuja, Nigeria.
