On Christmas Day, December 25, 2025, the United States carried out a series of airstrikes against Islamist targets in northwestern Nigeria, citing the fight against the Islamic State’s West African branch (ISIS/ISWAP), which is said to have carried out attacks against civilians, especially Christians. This was confirmed by both the White House and Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday.

– Tonight, as Commander-in-Chief, I ordered a powerful and deadly attack against ISIS terrorists in northwestern Nigeria, writes US President Donald Trump on social media.

He claims that the group “has deliberately and cruelly killed primarily innocent Christians at levels not seen in many years, and even centuries.”

According to American and Nigerian authorities, precision strikes were carried out on targets in the Sokoto area after a request from the Nigerian government and in cooperation with Nigeria. US Africa Command (AFRICOM) states that several Islamist militants were killed and that the operation is based on shared intelligence with Nigeria.

Nigeria emphasizes that militant attacks in the country affect both Christian and Muslim communities and that the operation is being conducted in accordance with the country’s sovereignty and international law.

Longstanding Islamist Violence

Nigeria has suffered from Islamist violence for more than a decade. The most notorious group is Boko Haram, which emerged in northeastern Nigeria in the early 2000s with the goal of imposing strict Islamist rule. The group has carried out massacres, kidnappings, and bombings against civilians, churches, schools, and markets.

In recent years, Boko Haram has split, and the more IS-loyal faction ISWAP has taken over parts of its activities, mainly around Lake Chad but also in northwestern Nigeria. ISWAP has carried out repeated attacks on villages, military bases, and religious targets.

Christians Particularly Vulnerable

International aid organizations and church groups have long warned that Christians in Nigeria are particularly vulnerable. According to several compilations, tens of thousands of Christians have been killed since 2009 in attacks carried out by Islamist groups, while millions of people have been displaced within the country.

However, the violence has also affected Muslim civilians who have refused to cooperate with the terror groups. In many cases, the Islamists have used extreme violence to control the local population, collect “taxes”, and recruit new members.

US Escalates

The US has previously conducted limited operations in the region, mainly through intelligence cooperation, drone surveillance, and support to Nigerian security forces. However, the latest airstrikes signal a clearer military escalation.

According to American officials, the message is that the US will not tolerate jihadist groups continuing mass killings of civilians, especially religiously motivated violence. At the same time, analysts warn that the conflict in Nigeria is complex and deeply rooted in religious, ethnic, and socioeconomic divisions.

The situation in Nigeria is currently described as one of the most serious security crises in sub-Saharan Africa, with a continued high risk of new attacks despite military operations.

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