WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump mentioned Thursday that the U.S. launched a “highly effective and lethal” strike in opposition to Islamic State forces in Nigeria, after spending weeks accusing the West African nation’s authorities of failing to rein in the persecution of Christians.
In a Christmas night publish on his social media web site, Trump didn’t present particulars or point out the extent of the injury brought on by the strikes.
A Protection Division official, who insisted on anonymity to debate particulars not made public, mentioned the U.S. labored with Nigeria to hold out the strikes, and that they’d been permitted by that nation’s authorities.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Overseas Affairs mentioned the cooperation included change of intelligence and strategic coordination in methods “per worldwide regulation, mutual respect for sovereignty and shared commitments to regional and world safety.”
Trump mentioned the airstrikes had been launched in opposition to Islamic State militants “who’ve been focusing on and viciously killing, primarily, harmless Christians.” Residents and safety analysts have mentioned Nigeria’s safety disaster impacts each Christians, predominant within the south, and Muslims, who’re the bulk within the north.
“Terrorist violence in any kind, whether or not directed at Christians, Muslims or different communities, stays an affront to Nigeria’s values and to worldwide peace and safety,” Nigeria’s Ministry of Overseas Affairs mentioned.
Nigeria is battling a number of armed teams, together with at the very least two affiliated with the Islamic State — an offshoot of the Boko Haram extremist group generally known as the Islamic State West Africa Province within the northeast, and the less-known Lakurawa group outstanding within the northwestern states like Sokoto the place the gangs use giant swathes of forests connecting states as hideouts.
Safety analysts mentioned the goal of the U.S. strikes could possibly be the Lakurawa group, which within the final 12 months has more and more turn into deadly within the area, typically focusing on distant communities and safety forces.
“Lakurawa is a gaggle that’s truly controlling territories in Nigeria, in Sokoto state and in different states like Kebbi,” mentioned Malik Samuel, a Nigerian safety researcher at Good Governance Africa. “Within the northwest, there was the incursion of violent extremist teams which are ideologically pushed,” he mentioned, blaming the incursion on the close to absence of the state and safety forces in scorching spots.
Nigeria’s authorities has beforehand mentioned in response to Trump’s criticisms that folks of many religions, not simply Christians, have suffered assaults by the hands of extremists teams.
Trump ordered the Pentagon final month to start planning for potential army motion in Nigeria to try to curb the so-called Christian persecution. The State Division not too long ago introduced it might limit visas for Nigerians and their members of the family concerned in killing Christians there.
And the U.S. not too long ago designated Nigeria a “nation of specific concern” beneath the Worldwide Spiritual Freedom Act.
Trump mentioned the U.S. protection officers had “executed quite a few good strikes, as solely the USA is able to doing” and added that “our Nation is not going to enable Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper.”
Nigeria’s inhabitants of 220 million is cut up nearly equally between Christians and Muslims. The nation has lengthy confronted insecurity from varied fronts together with the Boko Haram extremist group, which seeks to ascertain its radical interpretation of Islamic regulation and has additionally focused Muslims it deems not Muslim sufficient.
However assaults in Nigeria typically have various motives. There are religiously motivated ones focusing on each Christians and Muslims, clashes between farmers and herders over dwindling assets, communal rivalries, secessionist teams and ethnic clashes.
The U.S. safety footprint has diminished in Africa, the place army partnerships have both been scaled down or canceled. U.S. forces possible must be drawn from different elements of the world for any larger-scale army intervention in Nigeria.
Trump has nonetheless stored up the stress as Nigeria confronted a sequence of assaults on faculties and church buildings in violence that specialists and residents say targets each Christians and Muslims.
Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth posted Thursday evening on X: “The President was clear final month: the killing of harmless Christians in Nigeria (and elsewhere) should finish.”
Hegseth mentioned that U.S. army forces are “all the time prepared, so ISIS came upon tonight — on Christmas” and added, “Extra to return…Grateful for Nigerian authorities assist & cooperation” earlier than signing off, “Merry Christmas!”
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Related Press author Konstantin Toropin contributed from Washington, and Chinedu Asadu from Abuja, Nigeria.
