President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he had ordered a deadly strike against Islamic State militants in Nigeria, whom he accused of persecuting Christians.
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“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 added. “The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing.”
Trump continued: “Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper. May God Bless our Military, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues.”
President Trump recently highlighted the plight of Christians in Nigeria, urging in November that his secretary of defense “prepare for possible action” and warning the US would intervene “guns-a-blazing” to protect the Christian population of Africa’s most populous nation.
According to the US National Counterterrorism Centre, "ISIS-West Africa (ISIS-WA) was formed in 2015 when Boko Haram pledged allegiance to ISIS." The branch, as per the United States, attacks regional military targets and civilian defence forces and frequently attacks government personnel and infrastructure, and Christians.
Earlier on December 19 (local time), US and Jordanian forces carried out large-scale air strikes against the Islamic State terror group in Syria, hitting more than 70 ISIS targets with over 100 precision-guided munitions, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.
In a post on X, CENTCOM said the strikes were carried out overnight and described the operation as a demonstration of "peace through strength." The command also released a video showing footage of the air strikes.
The operation came days after a suspected Islamic State attacker targeted a convoy of US and Syrian forces in the central Syrian town of Palmyra.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
Find the best of Al News in one place, specially curated for you every weekend.
Stay on top of the latest tech trends and biggest startup news.
