Watch: Nigerians in the UK react to Trump's airstrikesWe've been speaking to Nigerians in the UK, to get their reactions to the US airstrikes in the country.Watch them speaking here... The story in 180 wordsLate last night, the US claimed to have hit IS militants in areas in northwest Nigeria.Nigeria, whose overstretched military is battling multiple armed groups, said it coordinated with the US on the strikes and the two also exchanged intelligence.Here's what Donald Trump had to say about it:His defence secretary Pete Hegseth promised there was "more to come". It's not been confirmed which group was targeted, but there are at least two IS-affiliated groups in the country:An offshoot of Boko Haram known as the Islamic State West Africa Province in the northeast;And the lesser-known Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP), with a group known as Lakurawa also prominent in the northwest - security analysts have suggested this group was likely targeted.The White House says that there's a "Christian genocide" ongoing in the country, but data doesn't necessarily back up those claims.While Christian communities have suffered, data suggests violence against Muslims has been reported at a similar rate.And here, our presenter Gareth Barlow and Africa correspondent Yousra Elbagir explain all you need to know... Watch: 'Palpable frustration' among Nigerians over failure to get a grip on security issuesWe've just been speaking to Bulama Bukarti, an analyst at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.He told presenter Samantha Washington that there's frustration on the ground among Nigerians over successive governments failing to resolve the security issues facing the country.But he also said the fact the Nigerian government cooperated with Washington on the strikes was key to avoiding alarm in the aftermath of last night's attacks.Watch his remarks here...' We've never seen anything like this': Locals react after their village is hit by US strikeIn our previous post, we brought you pictures from the village of Jabo, in Sokoto, where the US hit late last night. Now we can bring you the reactions of the locals too.Sanusi Madabo, a 40-year-old farmer, says he was preparing for bed when he heard a loud noise that sounded like a plane crashing.He says he rushed outside with his wife to see the sky glowing red.The light from the fire burned bright for hours, Madabo says, adding: "It was almost like daytime. "He only learned later that he had witnessed the US attack on an alleged IS camp.' Our rooms began to shake'Residents of Jabo said they felt panic and confusion after the airstrike hit their town.They also claimed their village had never experienced a terror attack - even though neighbouring settlements regularly had. "As it approached our area, the heat became intense," says Abubakar Sani, who lives just a few houses from the scene of the explosion.He adds: "Our rooms began to shake, and then fire broke out. The Nigerian government should take appropriate measures to protect us as citizens. We have never experienced anything like this before. "In pictures: Bomb squad on site of US strikesAn anti-bomb squad is on the scene in Jabo, a village in the state of Sokoto, where the US strikes landed.These are the latest pictures from there... Questions raised over motivation behind US strikes in NigeriaIndependent experts have raised questions over the apparent target of the US strike in northwest Nigeria, as well as any domestic motivation Donald Trump may have had.Kabir Adamu, managing director of Abuja-based Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited, tells Reuters that a Nigerian delegation travelled to the US after Donald Trump initially threatened to intervene in the country on 1 November. "The attorney general was involved, and agreements were signed. Then we learned of US surveillance missions mapping terrorist locations," he says.However, Adamu also outlines what he believes may be partly behind the attacks:"Trump is pandering to domestic evangelical Christian objectives with his 'Christian genocide' narrative. "Check out our 9.56 post where our Africa correspondent Yousra Elbagir breaks down how Trump's base support in the US may react to the attacks.Adamu questions the apparent target of the attack after local media reported explosions in the village of Jabo last night. Sky News has not verified these reports.Adamu adds: "We were told the Nigerian government okayed the attack, but why Jabo when there is no record of any group there?"' Cattle theft'Confidence MacHarry, senior analyst at Lagos-based SBM Intelligence, believes that members of the Lakurawa sect, a strict Sunni Islamist movement that claims affiliation with the so-called Islamic State group, were the target of the strike.He says:"It's very likely this is the group Trump referred to when mentioning US military strikes in Nigeria. They've also been linked to widespread cattle theft, with most of the stolen animals ending up in markets along the Nigeria-Niger border. "That echoes our post at 8.44, which outlined reports the group has been tormenting the villages it was invited to protect.Explained: Trump says US strikes targeted IS - here's a reminder of who they areIt's not clear which group the US targeted in Nigeria, with a few different IS-affiliated groups in the country.Donald Trump only said they were "ISIS terrorist scum". That group - self-styled as Islamic State - emerged in Iraq and Syria and quickly created a "caliphate", declaring its rule over all Muslims.It reached its height between 2014 and 2017, when they held parts of the two countries and ruled over millions of people.It even had a base a mere 30-minute drive from Baghdad, Iraq's capital. IS tried to rule like a centralised government, and imposed its interpretation of Sharia law strictly, carrying out public executions and torture.Fighters also carried out - or influenced - attacks in dozens of cities around the world.After a sustained military campaign by a US-led coalition, the caliphate eventually collapsed in Iraq and in SyriaWhere is it now? After it was driven from its bases in the Syrian city of Raqqa and the Iraqi city of Mosul, the group took refuge in the hinterlands of the two countries.It still has a significant presence in Syria and Iraq, parts of Africa, and in Afghanistan and Pakistan.Affiliates are active in southern parts of the Philippines, where pro-IS militants controlled the city of Marawi in 2017.IS leadership is clandestine and its overall size is hard to quantify, with fighters scattered in autonomous cells.The UN reckons it has a membership of 10,000 in IS heartlands.Meanwhile, foreign fighters have joined Islamic State's Khorasan branch - which you may have seen is referred to as ISIS-K.What are its tactics? IS has always wanted to spread its extreme form of Islam, but it is now a disparate group, often operating through affiliates and sympathisers.Nonetheless, it can still carry out high-profile attacks, which it claims on its Telegram channels - a social media messaging app. There are no signs militants exchange weapons or financing.As for its leader, the US believes the group's current honcho is Abdulqadir Mumin, who heads the Somalia branch.Recent attacksPolice in Australia said IS appeared to inspire the gunmen behind the shooting attack at a Jewish Hanukkah event in Sydney's Bondi Beach, where 15 people were killed.IS continues to plot in Syria, where the government co-operates with the US-led coalition combatting the group.This month, two US soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed in Syria by a suspected IS-sympathiser.And IS has also carried out attacks in Africa, claiming an attack in Congo in October, when 43 worshippers were killed during mass at a church.UK 'recognises significant threat' terror groups presentThe UK government has not commented on the US strikes in Nigeria, which is a Commonwealth nation.But Sky News understands from a source that the Foreign Office recognises the "significant threat" terror groups present at home and abroad, including to "vulnerable communities". Metal debris found by residents after US strikeThe US is yet to give specific details around the strikes in northwestern Nigeria overnight, such as which exact IS group it targeted.In the meantime, local residents are beginning to piece together events overnight, with some finding what appear to be fragments of a missile.You can see metal debris in the image below, taken in the village of Jabo, in Sokoto - the state where the attack happened.Strikes were a 'surprise' that may bring short-term benefit, says expertUS strikes in Nigeria would likely have come as a "surprise" to the population there, according to one regional expert.That's because Nigeria has "prided itself" on its defence policy excluding foreign intervention, says Miriam Adah, an assistant research manager for Africa at conflict monitor ACLED.Speaking to our presenter Samantha Washington, Adah added the strikes may have a short-term impact. "I do think that these strikes will have an effect in the sense that, since this is coming as a surprise, even terror groups would want to take a step back to readdress, or to re-strategise," she said. "So, I think that for the immediate [term], in the interim, we would see a decline in terrorist activities, especially in cases like Sokoto where the airstrike happened. "Could it last longer than that? Adah isn't sure. "I do not see that the airstrikes will necessarily end the situation," she said.Watch: What do we know about these strikes? It's just gone midday here in the UK, with the sun only just starting to rise on the east coast of the US.We're likely to get more reaction and developments from the states as the morning there goes on.So to tie up everything we know so far, our Africa correspondent Yousra Elbagir has you covered in just over two minutes... Nigeria doesn't rule out more strikes - and insists this isn't about a 'particular religion'In the post just below this one, our Africa correspondent Yousra Elbagir outlines why Nigeria is in a tough spot over Washington's claims of Christian persecution.As data shows in our 10.45 post, Muslims fall victim to violence in the country at least just as much.We're now seeing the Nigerian government's attempt to balance its cooperation with the US without condoning its comments around Christian massacres.Nigeria's foreign minister, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has told the BBC the strike was a "joint operation" targeting "terrorists". And he added it "has nothing to do with a particular religion". Without naming IS, Tuggar said the operation was in the works "for quite some time" and used Nigerian intel.And he did not rule out further strikes, adding that depends on "decisions to be taken by the leadership of the two countries". Analysis: Nigeria walking tightrope between US cooperation and debunked Christian persecutionBy Yousra Elbagir, Africa correspondentNigeria's government is walking a tightrope.It has publicly acknowledged security co-ordination with the US leading to "precision hits on terrorist targets in Nigeria by airstrikes in the northwest". That's while it attempts to create distance from the debunked claims of Nigerian Christian persecution that come from the Oval Office in conjunction with these strikes, and reiterating: "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. "Terror attacks carried out by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) are known to indiscriminately target Muslims and Christians across northeast and northwest Nigeria.On Christmas Eve, a bomb exploded in a packed mosque in the capital of Borno state, killing at least five people (see 8.08). But Donald Trump has consistently claimed that ISIS is persecuting Christians there and, after the US strikes, posted on social media: ⁠"The United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries! "The Nigerian government will have to work to assure its public that security cooperation with the US does not mean they are lending credibility to these claims.The Trump administration will also have to pacify its base.This is the third documented US foreign military intervention against ISIS in the span of a week.The US military carried out strikes in Syria, Somalia and, now, Nigeria since 19 December - a pattern that could fuel frustration among Trump supporters who denounce US involvement in foreign wars.Are Christians uniquely persecuted in Nigeria? Not according to the dataDonald Trump's administration and his supporters have for a few months now been making claims around Christian massacres in Nigeria.While it is true that Christian communities have suffered in the country - where multiple armed groups operate - data suggests Muslim violence has been reported at a similar rate.This map shows incidents are fairly evenly spread across Muslim and Christian areas.And when it comes to attacks on religious sites, more have been reported at mosques over the past year than at churches.Before 2025, incidents at churches were more common.Nigeria strikes happened less than a week after operation in SyriaThese strikes on Nigeria were made less than a week after a US attack in Syria, as outlined in the post just below this one.That operation had a similar stated objective to last night's - to "eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites". A US official described it as a "large-scale" strike that hit 70 targets in areas across central Syria.It came after three US citizens - two National Guard members and a civilian interpreter - were killed in an attack in the Syrian desert on 13 December. "This is not the beginning of a war - it is a declaration of vengeance," Pete Hegseth, US defence secretary, said in a social media post. "The United States of America, under President Trump's leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people. "Why did the US target Syria? Here's Yousra Elbagir to get you up to speed... Watch: Trump promised 'America first' - so how will his base react to more foreign intervention? It's been a busy week on the world stage for Donald Trump, and perhaps not in ways his supporters envisaged less than a year into his second term.Overnight strikes in Nigeria were launched after a similar operation in Syria, while tensions with Venezuela continue to rise.In less than 45 seconds, our Africa correspondent Yousra Elbagir breaks down the issue he may face domestically as a result of these strikes in Nigeria.Nigerian minister admitted 'religious issues' - but denied Trump claimsTo put these developments into some more context, let's go back to Donald Trump's remarks last month.In early November, he said the US military "could be" deployed to Nigeria to stop what he described as the mass killing of Christians.That came after he said Christianity is "facing an existential threat" in the country.Senator Ted Cruz, a high-profile Republican, took it further, claiming Nigerian officials are allowing a "Christian genocide". As we've outlined already, analysts actually say Muslims have been dying in greater numbers as the country grapples with militant groups.We spoke to Nigeria's information and national orientation minister Mohammed Idris in the days after those comments from the US.Speaking on The World with Yalda Hakim, he said the country does have "religious issues" - but people are being killed in mosques as well as churches.Watch his interview back in the video below... Analysis: Nigeria in difficult position with TrumpNigeria coordinated with the US during its strikes in the northwest overnight.As we've already outlined, the country's military is stretched in its battle against multiple armed groups (see 7.39). The result of that is a security crisis that has killed Christians as well as Muslims.But with Donald Trump's team solely highlighting Christian suffering, our Africa correspondent Yousra Elbagir says the Nigerian government is in a tough spot. "I think the Nigerian government is in a very difficult position," she says. "It may be welcoming this coordination with the US and trying to get ahead of their terrorism problem - their ISIS problem... that they've suffered from for many years - but still not wanting to kind of confirm these claims that Christians in Nigeria are persecuted more than any other religious group. "Muslim communities, she points out, have been targeted as "violently and viciously" as their Christian neighbours have been. "So, I think it's a difficult time, where these strikes are obviously going to be loudly celebrated by the Trump administration, where Nigerian authorities want to increase coordination, cooperation," Elbagir adds. "But, also, they don't want to confirm or give any credibility to claims of a Christian genocide that are simply not true. "Possible targets of US strikes torment the villages that invited them to provide securityThe US has not said exactly which group it targeted overnight, with Donald Trump only saying they went after "ISIS terrorist scum". But security analysts have posited the likely target was members of Lakurawa.This group is prominent in the northwest, where the strikes happened.Multiple analysts say Lakurawa has been active there since around 2017, when it was invited by traditional authorities in Sokoto state to protect their communities from bandits.According to James Barnett, an Africa researcher with the Washington-based Hudson Institute, the militants "overstayed their welcome, clashing with some of the community leaders... and enforcing a harsh interpretation of sharia law that alienated much of the rural population". Malik Samuel, a Nigerian security researcher with Good Governance Africa, said communities now "openly say that Lakurawa are more oppressive and dangerous than the bandits they claim to protect them from". He added Lakurawa controls territories in Sokoto and Kebbi states, and has become known for killings, kidnapping, rape and armed robbery.Five were killed in earlier attack on MosqueWhile Washington's overnight attack on IS targets in Nigeria are, it said, a defence of Christians in the country, Muslims have suffered a security crisis as well.Just two days ago, at least five worshippers were killed and 35 others injured when a suspected suicide bomber attacked a mosque in Maiduguri, the capital of Nigeria's Borno state, in the northeast.Police said it happened during evening prayers, while no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.Islamist insurgents Boko Haram and its ISWAP faction (see 7.39 for more on them) have waged a 15-year campaign of violence targeting civilians, mosques and markets in the northeast.Witnesses at al Adum mosque described scenes of panic as victims were rushed to hospital.Last August, gunmen attacked a mosque and nearby homes in the northwestern state of Katsina, killing at least 50, according to local officials and residents.For context: Nigeria is a country of more than 200 million people, which is divided between the largely Muslim north and mostly Christian south.An Islamist insurgency has dragged on for over 15 years and is largely confined to the northeast of the country, which is majority Muslim.While Christians have been killed, most of the victims have been Muslims, analysts say.Mapped: Where were the strikes in Nigeria?The US said its attacks targeted IS militants in the northwest, in a state called Sokoto.This is where - as we outlined at 7.39 - the IS-affiliated Lakurawa operates.

Watch: Nigerians in the UK react to Trump's airstrikesWe've been speaking to Nigerians in the UK, to get their reactions to the US airstrikes in the country.Watch them speaking here...The story in 180 wordsLate last night, the US claimed to have hit IS militants in areas in northwest Nigeria.Nigeria, whose overstretched military is battling multiple armed groups, said it coordinated with the US on the strikes and the two also exchanged intelligence.Here's what Donald Trump had to say about it:His defence secretary Pete Hegseth promised there was "more to come".It's not been confirmed which group was targeted, but there are at least two IS-affiliated groups in the country:An offshoot of Boko Haram known as the Islamic State West Africa Province in the northeast;And the lesser-known Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP), with a group known as Lakurawa also prominent in the northwest - security analysts have suggested this group was likely targeted.The White House says that there's a "Christian genocide" ongoing in the country, but data doesn't necessarily back up those claims.While Christian communities have suffered, data suggests violence against Muslims has been reported at a similar rate.And here, our presenter Gareth Barlow and Africa correspondent Yousra Elbagir explain all you need to know...Watch: 'Palpable frustration' among Nigerians over failure to get a grip on security issuesWe've just been speaking to Bulama Bukarti, an analyst at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.He told presenter Samantha Washington that there's frustration on the ground among Nigerians over successive governments failing to resolve the security issues facing the country.But he also said the fact the Nigerian government cooperated with Washington on the strikes was key to avoiding alarm in the aftermath of last night's attacks.Watch his remarks here...'We've never seen anything like this': Locals react after their village is hit by US strikeIn our previous post, we brought you pictures from the village of Jabo, in Sokoto, where the US hit late last night. Now we can bring you the reactions of the locals too.Sanusi Madabo, a 40-year-old farmer, says he was preparing for bed when he heard a loud noise that sounded like a plane crashing.He says he rushed outside with his wife to see the sky glowing red.The light from the fire burned bright for hours, Madabo says, adding: "It was almost like daytime."He only learned later that he had witnessed the US attack on an alleged IS camp.'Our rooms began to shake'Residents of Jabo said they felt panic and confusion after the airstrike hit their town.They also claimed their village had never experienced a terror attack - even though neighbouring settlements regularly had."As it approached our area, the heat became intense," says Abubakar Sani, who lives just a few houses from the scene of the explosion.He adds: "Our rooms began to shake, and then fire broke out. The Nigerian government should take appropriate measures to protect us as citizens. We have never experienced anything like this before."In pictures: Bomb squad on site of US strikesAn anti-bomb squad is on the scene in Jabo, a village in the state of Sokoto, where the US strikes landed.These are the latest pictures from there...Questions raised over motivation behind US strikes in NigeriaIndependent experts have raised questions over the apparent target of the US strike in northwest Nigeria, as well as any domestic motivation Donald Trump may have had.Kabir Adamu, managing director of Abuja-based Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited, tells Reuters that a Nigerian delegation travelled to the US after Donald Trump initially threatened to intervene in the country on 1 November."The attorney general was involved, and agreements were signed. Then we learned of US surveillance missions mapping terrorist locations," he says.However, Adamu also outlines what he believes may be partly behind the attacks:"Trump is pandering to domestic evangelical Christian objectives with his 'Christian genocide' narrative."Check out our 9.56 post where our Africa correspondent Yousra Elbagir breaks down how Trump's base support in the US may react to the attacks.Adamu questions the apparent target of the attack after local media reported explosions in the village of Jabo last night. Sky News has not verified these reports.Adamu adds: "We were told the Nigerian government okayed the attack, but why Jabo when there is no record of any group there?"'Cattle theft'Confidence MacHarry, senior analyst at Lagos-based SBM Intelligence, believes that members of the Lakurawa sect, a strict Sunni Islamist movement that claims affiliation with the so-called Islamic State group, were the target of the strike.He says:"It's very likely this is the group Trump referred to when mentioning US military strikes in Nigeria. They've also been linked to widespread cattle theft, with most of the stolen animals ending up in markets along the Nigeria-Niger border."That echoes our post at 8.44, which outlined reports the group has been tormenting the villages it was invited to protect.Explained: Trump says US strikes targeted IS - here's a reminder of who they areIt's not clear which group the US targeted in Nigeria, with a few different IS-affiliated groups in the country.Donald Trump only said they were "ISIS terrorist scum".That group - self-styled as Islamic State - emerged in Iraq and Syria and quickly created a "caliphate", declaring its rule over all Muslims.It reached its height between 2014 and 2017, when they held parts of the two countries and ruled over millions of people.It even had a base a mere 30-minute drive from Baghdad, Iraq's capital. IS tried to rule like a centralised government, and imposed its interpretation of Sharia law strictly, carrying out public executions and torture.Fighters also carried out - or influenced - attacks in dozens of cities around the world.After a sustained military campaign by a US-led coalition, the caliphate eventually collapsed in Iraq and in SyriaWhere is it now?After it was driven from its bases in the Syrian city of Raqqa and the Iraqi city of Mosul, the group took refuge in the hinterlands of the two countries.It still has a significant presence in Syria and Iraq, parts of Africa, and in Afghanistan and Pakistan.Affiliates are active in southern parts of the Philippines, where pro-IS militants controlled the city of Marawi in 2017.IS leadership is clandestine and its overall size is hard to quantify, with fighters scattered in autonomous cells.The UN reckons it has a membership of 10,000 in IS heartlands.Meanwhile, foreign fighters have joined Islamic State's Khorasan branch - which you may have seen is referred to as ISIS-K.What are its tactics?IS has always wanted to spread its extreme form of Islam, but it is now a disparate group, often operating through affiliates and sympathisers.Nonetheless, it can still carry out high-profile attacks, which it claims on its Telegram channels - a social media messaging app. There are no signs militants exchange weapons or financing.As for its leader, the US believes the group's current honcho is Abdulqadir Mumin, who heads the Somalia branch.Recent attacksPolice in Australia said IS appeared to inspire the gunmen behind the shooting attack at a Jewish Hanukkah event in Sydney's Bondi Beach, where 15 people were killed.IS continues to plot in Syria, where the government co-operates with the US-led coalition combatting the group.This month, two US soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed in Syria by a suspected IS-sympathiser.And IS has also carried out attacks in Africa, claiming an attack in Congo in October, when 43 worshippers were killed during mass at a church.UK 'recognises significant threat' terror groups presentThe UK government has not commented on the US strikes in Nigeria, which is a Commonwealth nation.But Sky News understands from a source that the Foreign Office recognises the "significant threat" terror groups present at home and abroad, including to "vulnerable communities".Metal debris found by residents after US strikeThe US is yet to give specific details around the strikes in northwestern Nigeria overnight, such as which exact IS group it targeted.In the meantime, local residents are beginning to piece together events overnight, with some finding what appear to be fragments of a missile.You can see metal debris in the image below, taken in the village of Jabo, in Sokoto - the state where the attack happened.Strikes were a 'surprise' that may bring short-term benefit, says expertUS strikes in Nigeria would likely have come as a "surprise" to the population there, according to one regional expert.That's because Nigeria has "prided itself" on its defence policy excluding foreign intervention, says Miriam Adah, an assistant research manager for Africa at conflict monitor ACLED.Speaking to our presenter Samantha Washington, Adah added the strikes may have a short-term impact."I do think that these strikes will have an effect in the sense that, since this is coming as a surprise, even terror groups would want to take a step back to readdress, or to re-strategise," she said."So, I think that for the immediate [term], in the interim, we would see a decline in terrorist activities, especially in cases like Sokoto where the airstrike happened."Could it last longer than that? Adah isn't sure."I do not see that the airstrikes will necessarily end the situation," she said.Watch: What do we know about these strikes?It's just gone midday here in the UK, with the sun only just starting to rise on the east coast of the US.We're likely to get more reaction and developments from the states as the morning there goes on.So to tie up everything we know so far, our Africa correspondent Yousra Elbagir has you covered in just over two minutes...Nigeria doesn't rule out more strikes - and insists this isn't about a 'particular religion'In the post just below this one, our Africa correspondent Yousra Elbagir outlines why Nigeria is in a tough spot over Washington's claims of Christian persecution.As data shows in our 10.45 post, Muslims fall victim to violence in the country at least just as much.We're now seeing the Nigerian government's attempt to balance its cooperation with the US without condoning its comments around Christian massacres.Nigeria's foreign minister, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has told the BBC the strike was a "joint operation" targeting "terrorists".And he added it "has nothing to do with a particular religion".Without naming IS, Tuggar said the operation was in the works "for quite some time" and used Nigerian intel.And he did not rule out further strikes, adding that depends on "decisions to be taken by the leadership of the two countries".Analysis: Nigeria walking tightrope between US cooperation and debunked Christian persecutionBy Yousra Elbagir, Africa correspondentNigeria's government is walking a tightrope.It has publicly acknowledged security co-ordination with the US leading to "precision hits on terrorist targets in Nigeria by airstrikes in the northwest".That's while it attempts to create distance from the debunked claims of Nigerian Christian persecution that come from the Oval Office in conjunction with these strikes, and reiterating: "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."Terror attacks carried out by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) are known to indiscriminately target Muslims and Christians across northeast and northwest Nigeria.On Christmas Eve, a bomb exploded in a packed mosque in the capital of Borno state, killing at least five people (see 8.08).But Donald Trump has consistently claimed that ISIS is persecuting Christians there and, after the US strikes, posted on social media: ⁠"The United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!"The Nigerian government will have to work to assure its public that security cooperation with the US does not mean they are lending credibility to these claims.The Trump administration will also have to pacify its base.This is the third documented US foreign military intervention against ISIS in the span of a week.The US military carried out strikes in Syria, Somalia and, now, Nigeria since 19 December - a pattern that could fuel frustration among Trump supporters who denounce US involvement in foreign wars.Are Christians uniquely persecuted in Nigeria? Not according to the dataDonald Trump's administration and his supporters have for a few months now been making claims around Christian massacres in Nigeria.While it is true that Christian communities have suffered in the country - where multiple armed groups operate - data suggests Muslim violence has been reported at a similar rate.This map shows incidents are fairly evenly spread across Muslim and Christian areas.And when it comes to attacks on religious sites, more have been reported at mosques over the past year than at churches.Before 2025, incidents at churches were more common.Nigeria strikes happened less than a week after operation in SyriaThese strikes on Nigeria were made less than a week after a US attack in Syria, as outlined in the post just below this one.That operation had a similar stated objective to last night's - to "eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites".A US official described it as a "large-scale" strike that hit 70 targets in areas across central Syria.It came after three US citizens - two National Guard members and a civilian interpreter - were killed in an attack in the Syrian desert on 13 December."This is not the beginning of a war - it is a declaration of vengeance," Pete Hegseth, US defence secretary, said in a social media post."The United States of America, under President Trump's leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people."Why did the US target Syria? Here's Yousra Elbagir to get you up to speed...Watch: Trump promised 'America first' - so how will his base react to more foreign intervention?It's been a busy week on the world stage for Donald Trump, and perhaps not in ways his supporters envisaged less than a year into his second term.Overnight strikes in Nigeria were launched after a similar operation in Syria, while tensions with Venezuela continue to rise.In less than 45 seconds, our Africa correspondent Yousra Elbagir breaks down the issue he may face domestically as a result of these strikes in Nigeria.Nigerian minister admitted 'religious issues' - but denied Trump claimsTo put these developments into some more context, let's go back to Donald Trump's remarks last month.In early November, he said the US military "could be" deployed to Nigeria to stop what he described as the mass killing of Christians.That came after he said Christianity is "facing an existential threat" in the country.Senator Ted Cruz, a high-profile Republican, took it further, claiming Nigerian officials are allowing a "Christian genocide".As we've outlined already, analysts actually say Muslims have been dying in greater numbers as the country grapples with militant groups.We spoke to Nigeria's information and national orientation minister Mohammed Idris in the days after those comments from the US.Speaking on The World with Yalda Hakim, he said the country does have "religious issues" - but people are being killed in mosques as well as churches.Watch his interview back in the video below...Analysis: Nigeria in difficult position with TrumpNigeria coordinated with the US during its strikes in the northwest overnight.As we've already outlined, the country's military is stretched in its battle against multiple armed groups (see 7.39).The result of that is a security crisis that has killed Christians as well as Muslims.But with Donald Trump's team solely highlighting Christian suffering, our Africa correspondent Yousra Elbagir says the Nigerian government is in a tough spot."I think the Nigerian government is in a very difficult position," she says."It may be welcoming this coordination with the US and trying to get ahead of their terrorism problem - their ISIS problem... that they've suffered from for many years - but still not wanting to kind of confirm these claims that Christians in Nigeria are persecuted more than any other religious group."Muslim communities, she points out, have been targeted as "violently and viciously" as their Christian neighbours have been."So, I think it's a difficult time, where these strikes are obviously going to be loudly celebrated by the Trump administration, where Nigerian authorities want to increase coordination, cooperation," Elbagir adds."But, also, they don't want to confirm or give any credibility to claims of a Christian genocide that are simply not true."Possible targets of US strikes torment the villages that invited them to provide securityThe US has not said exactly which group it targeted overnight, with Donald Trump only saying they went after "ISIS terrorist scum".But security analysts have posited the likely target was members of Lakurawa.This group is prominent in the northwest, where the strikes happened.Multiple analysts say Lakurawa has been active there since around 2017, when it was invited by traditional authorities in Sokoto state to protect their communities from bandits.According to James Barnett, an Africa researcher with the Washington-based Hudson Institute, the militants "overstayed their welcome, clashing with some of the community leaders... and enforcing a harsh interpretation of sharia law that alienated much of the rural population".Malik Samuel, a Nigerian security researcher with Good Governance Africa, said communities now "openly say that Lakurawa are more oppressive and dangerous than the bandits they claim to protect them from". He added Lakurawa controls territories in Sokoto and Kebbi states, and has become known for killings, kidnapping, rape and armed robbery.Five were killed in earlier attack on MosqueWhile Washington's overnight attack on IS targets in Nigeria are, it said, a defence of Christians in the country, Muslims have suffered a security crisis as well.Just two days ago, at least five worshippers were killed and 35 others injured when a suspected suicide bomber attacked a mosque in Maiduguri, the capital of Nigeria's Borno state, in the northeast.Police said it happened during evening prayers, while no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.Islamist insurgents Boko Haram and its ISWAP faction (see 7.39 for more on them) have waged a 15-year campaign of violence targeting civilians, mosques and markets in the northeast.Witnesses at al Adum mosque described scenes of panic as victims were rushed to hospital.Last August, gunmen attacked a mosque and nearby homes in the northwestern state of Katsina, killing at least 50, according to local officials and residents.For context: Nigeria is a country of more than 200 million people, which is divided between the largely Muslim north and mostly Christian south.An Islamist insurgency has dragged on for over 15 years and is largely confined to the northeast of the country, which is majority Muslim.While Christians have been killed, most of the victims have been Muslims, analysts say.Mapped: Where were the strikes in Nigeria?The US said its attacks targeted IS militants in the northwest, in a state called Sokoto.This is where - as we outlined at 7.39 - the IS-affiliated Lakurawa operates.