For more than a decade and a half, Christians and other non-Muslims have generally been under attack by radical jihadist terrorists such as ISIS and Boko Haram, who have wantonly assaulted Christian churches and murdered parishioners. In response to a recent spate of such killings, President Donald Trump ordered a strike on ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) in northeastern Nigeria, dispatching one of the group's key leaders. The airstrike mission was a combined operation with the Nigerian armed forces.
Operations in Nigeria
Consistent with the National Security Strategy, the United States shared the burden of taking on ISIS in Nigeria. In a Truth Social post, President Donald Trump revealed May 15:
“Tonight, at my direction, brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission to eliminate the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield. Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing. He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa or help plan operations to target Americans. With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished.”
According to a press release from US Africa Command (AFRICOM), the command assessed that, in addition to al-Minuki, numerous terrorists, including multiple additional ISIS leaders, could be targeted. AFRICOM commander US Air Force Gen. Dagvin Anderson said, “This operation underscores the exceptional value of the U.S.-Nigeria partnership and was made possible through the cooperation and coordination of our forces in recent months.”
Trump was responding to the slaughter of Christians in Nigeria and other African countries. “Christians have long been persecuted in Nigeria. More Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than in the rest of the world combined, according to human rights organization Open Doors, which monitors the persecution of Christians around the globe,” Newsweek reported. The death toll of those being killed for following Jesus is extensive and growing.
“Nigeria has been battling multiple armed groups, including at least two affiliated with IS [Islamic State], as it has grappled with a multifaceted security crisis. IS affiliates in Africa have emerged as some of the continent’s most active militant groups,” the Associated Press reported.
Again, from Newsweek, “More than 7,000 Christians were killed in Nigeria during the first 220 days of 2025, an average of 35 killings a day, according to a report published by the Nigeria-based human-rights NGO International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety).”
Religious publications have long argued the necessity to take on the Islamic terrorists, and the failure to do so made America look weak and lacking moral standing, which only invited the attacks on Christians to spread. Now, Trump has responded decisively – redesignating Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, threatening to cut aid programs and authorize unilateral strikes. The president’s approach is in keeping with America’s guiding principle of deterrence: peace through strength.
Coordinated Attacks Against Terrorists Are Effective
The May 16 air strikes on ISIS and ISIS-linked terrorists were not the first operations coordinated with Nigeria’s military against the terrorist groups. On Christmas Day 2025, US forces, in collaboration with the Nigerian government, used Tomahawk missiles to strike ISIS-affiliated camps and facilities in Sokoto State, causing significant disruption in the terrorists’ operations. In a press statement at the time, Gen. Anderson explained the Tomahawk attack, saying, “U.S. Africa Command is working with Nigerian and regional partners to increase counterterrorism cooperation efforts related to ongoing violence and threats against innocent lives. Our goal is to protect Americans and to disrupt violent extremist organizations wherever they are.”
Achieving such successes as the May 16 airstrike on the Nigerian terrorists sends a strong message that the United States wants to ally with partner African nations to eliminate violent Islamic organizations. Additionally, the attack demonstrated the value of effective bilateral partnerships, emphasizing the sharing of intelligence and operating as a cohesive military team to keep pressure on ISIS and ISIS-linked groups. This safeguards Nigeria’s Christian communities and prevents the West African terrorist group from further fomenting global jihad.
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