Trump says Merry Christmas by bombing terrorists in Nigeria for killing Christians

President Donald Trump announced that he had ordered "powerful and deadly" military airstrikes against Islamic State (ISIS) targets in northwestern Nigeria.

In a statement posted to Truth Social, Trump explained that the strikes were a response to the group's ongoing violence against Christians, which he claimed had reached "levels not seen for many years."

he operation, conducted by U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) in coordination with the Nigerian government, targeted militant camps in Sokoto State. The president concluded his announcement with a message that drew significant attention, stating: “May God Bless our Military, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues."

Trump had previously warned in November that there would be "hell to pay" if the attacks on religious minorities in West Africa did not cease. The timing and rhetoric of the strikes were viewed as a significant escalation of U.S. military involvement in the region during Trump's second term. Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar confirmed the "joint operation" but noted that the strikes were part of a long-term plan based on shared intelligence and were not motivated specifically by religious factors, despite the president's framing.

While several Republican lawmakers praised the "decisive" action, critics and regional analysts warned that the religious symbolism of the Christmas Day strike could deepen existing sectarian divisions in Nigeria