US carries out airstrikes in Nigeria, targeting ‘ISIS terrorists’ News
© WikiMedia (Bryn Pinzgauer)
US carries out airstrikes in Nigeria, targeting ‘ISIS terrorists’

US Africa Command (AFRICOM) announced on Thursday that it carried out strikes on “ISIS terrorists” in northwest Sokoto state, Nigeria. AFRICOM has yet to release further details about the strike, citing concerns of operational security.

President Donald Trump posted about the Christmas Day strikes on his Truth Social page:

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!

A resident in Jabo town shared with AFP that locals were surprised by the airstrikes, noting they had not known of any militant attacks in the area within the past two years. Others in neighboring districts stated that two of the strikes targeted Warriya and Alkassim villages, both known to house militant camps.

Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar informed the BBC it was a “joint operation” and had “nothing to do with a particular religion.” Tuggar stated that planning for the strikes had been in motion for “quite some time,” alluding to the possibility of future such airstrikes.

Under Article II of the US Constitution, presidents have the authority to order military operations, but large-scale offensive action can require congressional authorization under the War Powers Resolution of 1973. The Congressional Research Service has highlighted that several presidents have committed military forces without congressional approval since the War Powers Resolution’s enactment.

The airstrikes touch on various questions in international law. Under Customary International Humanitarian Law (CIHL), Rule 16 provides that parties must ensure that targets are military objectives. Moreover, under international law, military action is justified in the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense, which is recognized by Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. For Article 51 to apply, the military action must be in response to an armed attack. The action must also be promptly reported to the Security Council. The US also invoked Article 51 to justify its bombing of Iranian Nuclear facilities on June 27, 2025.

The strikes come following increasing threats from the Trump administration towards Nigeria. In November, the Trump administration ordered the Pentagon to prepare plans for military action in Nigeria. In October, President Trump declared Nigeria to be a “country of particular concern” due to claims of persecution against Christians.

Nigeria has suffered from mass abductions targeting Muslim and Christian communities. In particular, this November saw a wave of attacks that led to the abduction of more than 300 young students. These attacks primarily targeted areas outside of Sokoto state.

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