JUST IN: US warplanes strike ISIS camps in Nigeria

The United States has carried out airstrikes on Islamic State (ISIS) camps in northwest Nigeria, President Donald Trump announced late Thursday, marking a significant escalation in Washington’s counterterrorism posture in the region.

In a statement posted on Truth Social, the president said the strikes were ordered by him in his capacity as Commander in Chief and were aimed at ISIS elements accused of conducting sustained attacks against civilians, particularly Christian communities.

“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS terrorist targets in northwest Nigeria,” Trump wrote. He said the group had been “targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians,” and claimed the violence had reached levels “not seen for many years.”

The president added that the operation followed earlier warnings issued to the group. “I have previously warned these terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was,” he said.

According to Trump, the strikes involved multiple precision attacks carried out by the US military. “The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing,” he wrote, without providing further operational details.

He also framed the action as part of a broader counterterrorism policy, stating, “Under my leadership, our country will not allow radical Islamic terrorism to prosper.” Trump concluded his message by praising US forces, saying, “May God bless our military.”

As of early Friday, US defense officials had not released information on the specific aircraft used, the number of targets hit, or casualty assessments. There was also no immediate confirmation from Nigerian authorities regarding the strikes or whether they were conducted in coordination with Abuja.

Northwest and northeastern Nigeria have faced persistent insecurity from armed groups in recent years, including ISIS-affiliated factions operating in remote areas.