The US strikes have hit camps run by militants linked to the Islamic State group (IS) in north-western Nigeria. The U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) confirmed that American forces carried out an airstrike in Sokoto State, near Nigeria’s border with Niger, at the request of Nigerian authorities.
US military said an “initial assessment” suggested “multiple” fatalities.
Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar says Nigeria provided the US with intelligence ahead of the Christmas Day strike.
He said the strikes had been planned “for quite some time” and had used intelligence information provided by Nigeria.
The Foreign Minister also did not rule out further strikes.
US President Donald Trump, who labelled the group “terrorism scum”, said the Christmas Day strikes were “powerful and deadly,” adding that they had been “targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians.”
Trump had ordered the US military to prepare to intervene in Nigeria in November.
His administration has previously accused the Nigerian government of failing to protect Christians from jihadist attacks and has claimed a “genocide” is being perpetrated.
The US Government has labelled Nigeria a “country of particular concern,” a designation used by the US State Department that triggers sanctions against countries “engaged in severe violations of religious freedom.”
