President Donald Trump has announced that he ordered a “powerful and deadly strike” targeting Islamic State militants in Nigeria.
Speaking from West Palm Beach, Florida, President Trump declared on Thursday night that the U.S. had conducted a significant military action against ISIS forces in Nigeria. This move follows his recent criticism of the group’s attacks on Christians in the region.
While the president’s announcement lacked specific details regarding the execution and outcome of the strike, the White House has yet to provide additional information.
“Tonight, under my command as Commander in Chief, the United States executed a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS terrorists in Northwest Nigeria,” Trump shared on social media. “These terrorists have been aggressively targeting and killing innocent Christians, at levels unprecedented in recent history and even centuries!”
In the previous month, Trump instructed the Pentagon to explore military options in response to allegations of Christian persecution. Subsequently, the State Department announced visa restrictions for Nigerians and their families involved in violence against Christians in Nigeria.
Recently, the U.S. designated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act, highlighting the ongoing issues in the region.
“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,” Trump wrote in his Christmas night post. He said that U.S. defense officials had “executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing.”
The president added: “our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper.”
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