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United States President Donald Trump has said that recent US military operations in Nigeria largely ended violence against Christian communities in the country, claiming the strikes killed key terrorist leaders.
Speaking at an event in Washington on Friday, Trump said the intervention targeted groups responsible for attacks on Christian populations.
“As you know, we recently struck Nigeria and largely ended the slaughter of great Christian populations,” Trump said.
He described the situation before the strikes as severe, saying many civilians had been killed.
“They have a great Christian population. They were being butchered… butchered. Thousands and thousands of people were being killed, children, women, old people, just being slaughtered, hacked to death,” he said.
Trump also claimed the operation eliminated senior figures within the groups responsible.
“They know that if they go further, the attack will be far greater and that they don’t want to really get involved anymore so much. We hit them very hard. We knocked out their leader. We knocked out their second leader and their third leader.
“We did a very good job. Christianity is under siege in many places, but we’re not going to let that happen. Not on our watch.”
“We recently struck Nigerian 🇳🇬 and ended the killing of Christian”
~ Donald Trump days pic.twitter.com/2HCPoGPosB
— Nigeria Stories (@NigeriaStories) June 27, 2026
The remarks follow joint US-Nigeria counterterrorism operations in northern Nigeria earlier this year.
In May, Nigerian authorities said more than 20 ISIS/ISWAP fighters were killed during coordinated air operations in Metele.
Another strike in Arege in June reportedly killed 21 ISWAP fighters.
Trump also linked the Nigeria operation to broader US security concerns, including efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Trump said his administration remains committed to protecting Christians worldwide through military action against armed groups.
“So I’m saving Christians throughout the world, even though we are not in those various countries where you read about this,” he said.
“But I’m saving them by hitting these terrorists very violently and very hard. We’re hitting them very hard by the greatest weapons on earth, taking them out.
“They will close your churches in this country. They go communist, and they’re trying to. They will kill your people, and that’s what they’re about. They want to end religion.”
