US Confirms Security Cooperation With Nigeria After Airstrikes on Terror Groups

The United States has confirmed carrying out targeted airstrikes against ISIS-linked terrorist elements operating in north-west Nigeria, saying the operation was conducted with the knowledge and cooperation of Nigerian authorities.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the action followed directives from President Donald Trump, who had earlier condemned the killing of innocent civilians, particularly Christian communities, in Nigeria and other conflict zones. According to him, Washington acted in support of Nigeria’s ongoing counter-terrorism efforts.

Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also acknowledged the operation, describing it as part of an established framework of intelligence sharing and security collaboration with international partners aimed at tackling terrorism and violent extremism.

The development comes as concerns grow in the United States over attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria. A US lawmaker, Moore, recently concluded a fact-finding visit to the country, where he led a congressional delegation to internally displaced persons’ camps and communities affected by terrorist violence in Benue State.

During the visit, the delegation met survivors, religious leaders, traditional rulers, as well as Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and Attorney General, Lateef Fagbemi. Moore later described the findings as disturbing, citing accounts of mass killings and families wiped out by attacks.

Speaking in a US media interview, he alleged that the violence was a deliberate campaign against Christians in parts of Nigeria and warned that some communities were being forced off their ancestral lands.

Moore said President Trump has mandated him and House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole to submit a detailed report with recommendations before the end of the month. The report follows Nigeria’s designation by the US as a “Country of Particular Concern” over allegations of religiously motivated killings.