Washington: US President Donald Trump on Friday described recent strikes against ISIS (Daesh) targets in Nigeria as a "Christmas present" to the terror group. The announcement was made during an appearance on WABC radio, where Trump addressed the violence against Christians in Nigeria, stating that "tens of thousands" have been killed and emphasizing that the Nigerian government had been warned about potential consequences.
According to Anadolu Agency, Trump revealed that the US forces executed the strikes in various locations, targeting ISIS aggressively and referring to the group as "terrible" and "butchers." He mentioned that the strikes delivered a severe blow to the terrorists, describing it as a "very bad Christmas present" for the group. In an interview with Politico, Trump disclosed that the attack, initially slated for Wednesday, was postponed to Christmas Day to impart "symbolic" significance. He remarked that the terrorists were taken by surprise and that every camp was "decimated."
The US military operations were conducted against ISIS targets in northwest Nigeria on Thursday, as Trump announced on his social media platform, Truth Social. US Africa Command (AFRICOM) confirmed that the strikes were launched "at the request of Nigerian authorities" in Sokoto State, which resulted in the deaths of multiple ISIS terrorists, according to a post on US social media company X. Nigeria also confirmed early Friday that it is continuing its collaboration with the US on security matters to combat ongoing terrorism and violent extremism threats.
In a separate development, Trump stated that the US recently carried out strikes on a significant maritime facility in Venezuela, describing it as "a big plant or a big facility ... where the ships come from." Although he did not specify the exact location or target, he noted that the site was hit "two nights ago," and that the US forces struck it "very hard." Trump suggested that criticism of the attacks was influenced by domestic political opposition, asserting that Democrats opposed the actions primarily because he ordered them. He argued that Democrats might have supported the strikes if they had been authorized by someone else, including another Republican.
The comments come amid intensified US military operations in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific since September, focusing on efforts against narcotics trafficking. At least 105 people have been killed in 29 strikes as part of this campaign, which coincides with Washington's increased pressure on Venezuela, including a blockade of oil tankers, vessel seizures, and the mass deployment of military forces near Venezuelan waters.