Trump: US Struck IS Targets in Nigeria 12/26 06:08

   President Donald Trump said Thursday that the U.S. launched a "powerful and 
deadly" strike against Islamic State forces in Nigeria, after spending weeks 
accusing the West African country's government of failing to rein in the 
persecution of Christians.

   WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- President Donald Trump said Thursday that the 
U.S. launched a "powerful and deadly" strike against Islamic State forces in 
Nigeria, after spending weeks accusing the West African country's government of 
failing to rein in the persecution of Christians.

   In a Christmas evening post on his social media site, Trump did not provide 
details or mention the extent of the damage caused by the strikes in Sokoto 
state.

   A Defense Department official, who insisted on anonymity to discuss details 
not made public, said the U.S. worked with Nigeria to carry out the strikes, 
and that they'd been approved by that country's government.

   Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the cooperation included exchange 
of intelligence and strategic coordination in ways "consistent with 
international law, mutual respect for sovereignty and shared commitments to 
regional and global security."

   Trump said the airstrikes were launched against Islamic State militants "who 
have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians." 
Residents and security analysts have said Nigeria's security crisis affects 
both Christians, predominant in the south, and Muslims, who are the majority in 
the north.

   "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," Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

   Nigeria is battling multiple armed groups, including at least two affiliated 
with the Islamic State -- an offshoot of the Boko Haram extremist group known 
as the Islamic State West Africa Province in the northeast, and the less-known 
Lakurawa group prominent in the northwestern states like Sokoto where the gangs 
use large swathes of forests connecting states as hideouts.

   Security analysts said the target of the U.S. strikes could be the Lakurawa 
group, which in the last year has increasingly become lethal in the region, 
often targeting remote communities and security forces.

   "Lakurawa is a group that is actually controlling territories in Nigeria, in 
Sokoto state and in other states like Kebbi," said Malik Samuel, a Nigerian 
security researcher at Good Governance Africa. "In the northwest, there has 
been the incursion of violent extremist groups that are ideologically driven," 
he said, blaming the incursion on the near absence of the state and security 
forces in hot spots.

   Nigeria's government has previously said in response to Trump's criticisms 
that people of many faiths, not just Christians, have suffered attacks at the 
hands of extremists groups.

   Trump ordered the Pentagon last month to begin planning for potential 
military action in Nigeria to try and curb the so-called Christian persecution. 
The State Department recently announced it would restrict visas for Nigerians 
and their family members involved in killing Christians there.

   And the U.S. recently designated Nigeria a "country of particular concern" 
under the International Religious Freedom Act.

   Trump said the U.S. defense officials had "executed numerous perfect 
strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing" and added that "our 
Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper."

   Nigeria's population of 220 million is split almost equally between 
Christians and Muslims. The country has long faced insecurity from various 
fronts including the Boko Haram extremist group, which seeks to establish its 
radical interpretation of Islamic law and has also targeted Muslims it deems 
not Muslim enough.

   But attacks in Nigeria often have varying motives. There are religiously 
motivated ones targeting both Christians and Muslims, clashes between farmers 
and herders over dwindling resources, communal rivalries, secessionist groups 
and ethnic clashes.

   The U.S. security footprint has diminished in Africa, where military 
partnerships have either been scaled down or canceled. U.S. forces likely would 
have to be drawn from other parts of the world for any larger-scale military 
intervention in Nigeria.

   Trump has nonetheless kept up the pressure as Nigeria faced a series of 
attacks on schools and churches in violence that experts and residents say 
targets both Christians and Muslims.

   Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted Thursday night on X: "The President 
was clear last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria (and 
elsewhere) must end."

   Hegseth said that U.S. military forces are "always ready, so ISIS found out 
tonight -- on Christmas" and added, "More to come...Grateful for Nigerian 
government support & cooperation" before signing off, "Merry Christmas!"