In what could be best described as a befitting Christmas gift, the United States of America, on Christmas Day (December 25) launched deadly airstrikes against Islamic State (ISIS) militants in northwestern Nigeria, over the much-talked about persecution and slaughtering of Christians in Nigeria by the said Islamic terrorists.
The strikes, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on his social media platform and confirmed by both the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) and the Federal Government of Nigeria, were reportedly conducted in Sokoto State, a region in Nigeria’s northwest long considered outside the country’s traditional jihadist battlefields.
In a statement posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, President Trump described the operation as “powerful and deadly strikes against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria,” claiming the action targeted militants he said were viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians at levels not seen for many years, and even centuries.
Meanwhile, then, Nigeria’s Federal Government dismissed Trump’s claims assertions about Christian genocide, saying that the armed groups do not spare anyone and that they target both Muslim and Christian communities in the country.
Howbeit, Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement early on Friday, also confirmed the airstrikes and Nigeria’s involvement, claiming that the country’s authorities were “engaged in structured security cooperation with international partners, including the United States of America, in addressing the persistent threat of terrorism and violent extremism”.
“This has led to precision hits on terrorist targets in Nigeria by air strikes in the North West,” the Ministry said.
Also reacting, the Nigerian military’s Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, said Nigeria’s armed forces, in conjunction with the US, had carried out the strike based on “credible intelligence and careful operational planning”.
According to him in a statement on Friday, the attack , which he described as “precision strike operations against identified foreign ISIS-linked elements operating in parts of North West Nigeria” had received approval from federal government authorities
The statement added that “The operation underscores the resolve of the Federal Government of Nigeria, working with strategic partners, to confront transnational terrorism and prevent foreign fighters from establishing or expanding footholds within Nigeria’s borders.”
Meanwhile, as at the time of this publication, the official number of casualties (if any) resulting from the airstrikes is yet to be ascertained