United States President Donald Trump has cautioned that the American military could carry out further strikes on ISIS terrorists operating in parts of northern Nigeria if Christians continue to be targeted.
Trump claimed that the terrorist attacks in the region primarily target innocent Christians, a statement that sparked disagreement, with the Nigerian government noting that there is no religious war, as both Muslims and Christians have been attacked.
The warning follows U.S. missile strikes on Christmas Day targeting the Islamic State, which the Republican president described as potentially the beginning of broader interventions if necessary.
The statement was made during an interview with The New York Times, published yesterday in the United States, prompted by ongoing concerns over alleged targeted killings of Christians in Nigeria.
Roughly a month earlier, Trump had threatened to send U.S. troops into Nigeria with full force, vowing they would go in “guns-a-blazing to wipe out the terrorists killing our cherished Christians.”
Nigeria asserted its authority over the recent operation, as confirmed by Ademola Oshodi, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Foreign Affairs and Protocol.
In the interview, Trump said, “I’d love to make it a one-time strike. But if they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike.”
Some U.S. politicians have claimed that Christians face genocide in Nigeria, though the Nigerian government repeatedly rejects suggestions of deliberate targeting.
Trump’s senior adviser, Massad Boulos, noted in October that groups like Boko Haram and ISIS kill more Muslims than Christians in the country.
Addressing his adviser’s comments, Trump said, “I think that Muslims are being killed also in Nigeria. But it’s mostly Christians.”
