The United States has carried out air strikes against Islamic State-linked militants operating in northwest Nigeria, targeting camps in Sokoto state near the border with Niger, according to US military officials.

An initial assessment by the US military indicated that multiple militants were killed in the operation.

US Africa Command said the strikes were conducted in coordination with Nigerian authorities and formed part of ongoing counterterrorism cooperation between the two countries.

The operation followed months of intelligence sharing and planning, with Nigerian officials confirming that the strikes were carried out using intelligence provided by Nigeria.

US President Donald Trump confirmed the strikes in a social media post on Christmas Day, stating that the US had launched a powerful and deadly operation against Islamic State militants in the region.

Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar told the BBC that the strikes were a joint operation and said that they were not connected to any particular religion.

He said the action had been planned for some time and was aimed at militants responsible for killing Nigerians across different communities. Tuggar also did not rule out the possibility of further strikes if required.

Addressing the timing of the operation, Tuggar said the strikes were not linked to Christmas and could have taken place on any other day, explaining that the focus was on targeting terrorists rather than sending a religious message.

The US military said the strikes hit known Islamic State camps in Sokoto state. Africa Command reported that multiple militants were killed, though it did not release detailed casualty figures.

A short video later shared by the US Department of Defense appeared to show a missile being launched from a naval vessel involved in the operation.

.@POTUS “Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and… pic.twitter.com/ct7rUW128t

— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) December 26, 2025

The Trump administration has previously accused Nigeria of failing to protect Christian communities from extremist attacks and has claimed that large-scale violence against Christians is taking place.

Trump has earlier designated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern”, a classification used by the US State Department for countries accused of serious violations of religious freedom.

Nigerian officials have rejected the claim that violence in the country disproportionately targets Christians. Groups that monitor conflict in Nigeria have also stated that there is no evidence showing Christians are being killed at higher rates than Muslims, noting that Nigeria’s population is divided roughly evenly between the two religions.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth publicly thanked the Nigerian government for its cooperation and support following the strikes.

References: BBC, Reuters