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. Trump ordered the Pentagon last month to begin planning for potential military action in Nigeria to try and curb the so-called Christian persecution. And the U.S. recently designated Nigeria a “country of particular concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act. 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.

Source: The Patriot December 26, 2025 09:01 UTC