U.S. President Donald Trump says American military strikes in Nigeria have helped reduce attacks on Christian communities by Islamic State-linked militants and pledged to continue targeting terrorist groups in the country.
Speaking in Washington, Trump said the operations against fighters affiliated with the Islamic State West Africa Province, ISWAP, had significantly reduced violence.
“As you know, we recently struck Nigeria and largely ended the slaughter of great Christian populations,” he said. “They were being butchered—thousands and thousands of people were being killed.”
Trump added that the strikes had eliminated several senior commanders. “We hit them very hard. We knocked out their leader. We knocked out their second leader and their third leader,” he said. He warned that further militant activity would attract a stronger response.
He also reiterated his administration’s focus on combating religious persecution globally, stating, “I’m saving Christians throughout the world.”
Trump’s comments come amid increased U.S.-Nigeria security cooperation. Washington has expanded intelligence-sharing and military support for Nigerian forces against ISWAP and other jihadist groups.
Nigeria has faced over a decade of insurgency involving Boko Haram, ISWAP and other armed groups, resulting in thousands of deaths and mass displacement across the northeast and parts of the northwest.
While Trump has frequently highlighted attacks on Christians, Nigerian authorities and independent analysts say the conflict affects both Christians and Muslims. Human rights groups report attacks on churches and clergy, as well as deadly assaults and abductions in Muslim communities by insurgents and criminal gangs.
Trump Says U.S. Strikes in Nigeria Reduced Attacks on Christians
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