Otamere Gladness 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The United States launches precision military strikes on Islamic State (ISIS) targets in north-west Nigeria, escalating its counter-terrorism engagement in West Africa following warnings from President Donald Trump about rising attacks on Christians.
President Trump announces the operation on Thursday, saying US forces hit ISIS militants accused of targeting Christian communities. Writing on Truth Social, he says the strikes target extremists “who have been viciously killing innocent Christians.”
A US military official confirms that more than a dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles are fired from a Navy vessel in the Gulf of Guinea, striking two ISIS camps in Sokoto State.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, says the operation is carried out in coordination with the Nigerian military.
In a statement, US Africa Command (AFRICOM) says its initial assessment indicates that “multiple ISIS terrorists” were killed in the strikes.
The command adds that the mission forms part of a broader effort to weaken extremist networks operating in the region.
“US Africa Command continues to work closely with Nigerian and regional partners to counter ongoing violence and threats to innocent lives,” AFRICOM commander General Dagvin Anderson says. “Our objective is to disrupt violent extremist organisations wherever they operate.”
The strikes follow President Trump’s directive last month instructing the US Department of Defense to prepare military options to protect Christian populations facing attacks from Islamic militant groups in Nigeria.
Security analysts say the operation marks one of the most significant US military actions in Nigeria in recent years, underscoring Washington’s growing concern over Islamist violence spreading beyond the country’s Northeast.
Nigerian authorities have yet to issue a formal public response, but defence sources indicate that intelligence cooperation between both countries remains active as counter-terrorism operations continue.
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Oluwatobi Adu 
Chukwu Obinna 
Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 
Juliet Jacob