Donald Trump said the US military had carried out what he described as a powerful and deadly strike against Islamic State fighters in north-western Nigeria, an operation Washington says was conducted in close co-ordination with Nigerian forces, the BBC reports.

The US president claimed the attacks targeted Islamist militants responsible for killing civilians, accusing them of violence aimed primarily at Christians. In a statement on his Truth Social platform late on Christmas Day, Trump said the US would not allow what he called radical Islamic terrorism to flourish under his leadership.

“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! I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was” Trump penned on the social media site.

He added thart “The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing. Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper” before closing “May God Bless our Military, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues” (sic)

US Africa Command later confirmed that air strikes were carried out in Sokoto state in conjunction with Nigerian authorities. Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, said the action was a joint operation against terrorist groups and stressed that it was not linked to any particular religion. He added that the mission had been planned for some time and was based on intelligence supplied by Nigeria, the BBC added.

Tuggar did not rule out further operations, saying any future action would depend on decisions taken by leaders in both countries. Nigeria’s foreign ministry later said the strikes formed part of ongoing security co-operation with international partners to counter violent extremism, resulting in precision hits on militant targets in the north-west.

The intervention follows Trump’s order last month for the US military to prepare options to confront Islamist militants in Nigeria. It also comes amid growing claims in some US political circles that Christians are being subjected to systematic persecution in the country - itself an assertion strongly disputed by Nigerian officials and independent monitors.

According to the BBC, groups tracking violence say there is no evidence that Christians are being killed at higher rates than Muslims in Nigeria, which is broadly split between the two faiths. Data compiled by conflict monitoring organisations indicate that Islamist insurgencies in the north-east, including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province, have killed thousands over the past decade, with most victims being Muslim.

Nigeria’s president, Bola Tinubu, has repeatedly insisted that the country’s security crisis cuts across religious and regional lines. Advisers to the president have said Nigeria welcomes international assistance but emphasise that any military action must respect the country’s sovereignty and be conducted jointly.