Nigeria and ISIS

On Christmas Day President Trump announced U.S. airstrikes in Sokoto State, northwest Nigeria, saying they killed multiple fighters from an Islamic State–linked faction; AFRICOM and U.S. officials said the strikes were carried out at the request of and in coordination with Nigerian authorities, with reports that Tomahawk missiles from a ship in the Gulf of Guinea hit several locations. Trump framed the action as retaliation for militants “killing, primarily, innocent Christians” and said the timing was symbolic, while Nigerian officials and analysts disputed the religious framing, urged transparency, and noted the strikes followed Pentagon planning begun in November.