The United States carried out targeted airstrikes against Islamic State positions in Nigeria on Thursday, President Donald Trump announced, amid growing scrutiny of the West African nation’s response to attacks on Christian communities.

Trump posted the announcement on his social media platform on Christmas evening, providing few details on the extent or outcome of the operation.

A U.S. Defense Department official, speaking anonymously, confirmed that the strikes were executed in coordination with Nigerian authorities and had received formal approval from the Nigerian government.

Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the operation involved intelligence sharing and strategic coordination, conducted "in line with international law, mutual respect for sovereignty, and shared commitments to regional and global security."

Trump described the targets as militants "specifically targeting and brutally killing, mainly, innocent Christians."

Security analysts and local residents note that the insurgency affects communities across Nigeria’s religious divide, impacting Christians concentrated in the south as well as Muslims in the north, underscoring the nationwide scope of the security crisis.