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Rabat – The US has announced launching strikes against ISIS in Nigeria, with Washington stating that the move came at the request of the Nigerian government.
Donald Trump announced the news on Thursday on Truth Social, stressing that the US launched a series of powerful and deadly strikes targeting ISIS positions in the West African country.
He said the terrorist group had been targeting and killing “innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!”
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar said the strike was a “joint operation” targeting “terrorists.”
The attack had “nothing to do with a particular religion,” he noted.
Nigeria did not name ISIS specifically, according to Reuters, with the top Nigerian diplomat suggesting instead that the operation had been planned for some time.
“Terrorist violence in any form, whether directed at Christians, Muslims or other communities, remains an affront to Nigeria’s values and to international peace and security,” the Nigerian Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement.
The Times of Israel quoted an official from the US Defense Department who spoke on condition of anonymity, as acknowledging that the Nigerian government approved the attacks. Washington “worked with Nigeria to carry out the strikes,” the official said.
Ahead of the US announcement, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu expressed what he termed as his unwavering commitment to ensure religious freedom in Nigeria and protect all people of different faiths from violence.
“Since I assumed office in 2023, I have continually reassured Nigerians of our unyielding commitment to safeguarding the security, unity, and stability of our nation,” the president said in his Christmas message to the Nigerian people.
