U.S. Forces Strike Islamic State Camps in Nigeria's Sokoto State on Christmas Day, Africa Command Says
U.S. Africa Command said in a statement on December 25, 2025, that at the direction of the president of the United States and the secretary of war, and in coordination with Nigerian authorities, U.S. forces conducted strikes against Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists in Sokoto State, Nigeria, that day, and that the command's initial assessment was that multiple ISIS terrorists were killed in the ISIS camps.
Gen. Dagvin Anderson, the commander of U.S. Africa Command, said in the statement that the command is working with Nigerian and regional partners to increase counterterrorism cooperation efforts related to ongoing violence and threats against innocent lives. "Our goal is to protect Americans and to disrupt violent extremist organizations wherever they are," he said. The command said it would continue to assess the results of the operation and release additional information as appropriate, and that, for operational security, it would not release specific details in order to protect ongoing missions and the safety of its forces.
President Trump had announced the operation earlier that day on his Truth Social platform, saying he had directed a "powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians." Trump said he had previously warned the group that if it did not stop the slaughter of Christians, there would be consequences to pay. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth posted afterward that there was "more to come" and thanked the Nigerian government for its support and cooperation.
Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed afterward that the precision hits on terrorist targets in Nigeria resulted from coordinated intelligence sharing and strategic engagement between Nigeria and its international partners, including the United States.
The strikes came as Nigeria's record on religious freedom drew heightened attention in Washington: on October 31, Trump designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern for religious freedom. Africa Command said it would work with partners to eliminate terrorist threats against Americans at home and abroad.
Source: U.S. Africa Command
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
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