Nigeria today confirmed that authorities in structured security cooperation with international partners, including the US, carried out airstrikes on terrorist targets in the north-west part of the African country. The statement from the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs came after US President Donald Trump said the American forces had carried out a military strike against ISIS targets in northwest Nigeria. According to the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the operation resulted in precision air strikes against the terrorist targets as part of efforts to address the persistent threat of terrorism and violent extremism in Nigeria.

Nigeria reiterated that all counter-terrorism efforts are guided by the primacy of protecting civilian lives, safeguarding national unity, and upholding the rights and dignity of all citizens, irrespective of faith or ethnicity. The statement added that terrorist violence in any form, whether directed at Christians, Muslims, or other communities, remains an affront to Nigeria’s values and to international peace and security. The Nigerian Foreign Ministry affirmed that it would continue to engage relevant partners and keep the public informed through appropriate official channels.