This article was originally published by Tyler Durden at ZeroHedge. 

President Trump telegraphed the move last month, warning that US military intervention in West Africa was certainly on the table after what he described as the mass killing of Christians by Islamic terrorists in Nigeria. Now, the president says the US military forces carried out powerful strikes against ISIS targets, framing the operation as a direct response to militants “viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians.”

“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, 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!” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Christmas Day.

Trump continued, “I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was.”

“The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing. Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper,” the president declared.

U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), the U.S. military’s unified combatant command responsible for operations and security cooperation across Africa, said on X that, acting at the direction of Trump and the Secretary of War and in coordination with Nigerian officials, it carried out strikes against ISIS terrorists in Nigeria on Christmas Day, in Sokoto State.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X that Trump was very clear last month: “The killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria (and elsewhere) must end,” adding, “The @DeptofWar is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight — on Christmas. More to come…”

As we’ve previously reported, Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria…

• Trump Threatens US Military Action In Nigeria Over ‘Killing Of Christians’
• Nigeria’s Christians Are Caught in A Tide Of Jihadi Violence

It seems Nicki Minaj has become the spokeswoman to address the persecution of Christians in Nigeria and around the world.

The energy market reaction was muted during the thin holiday trading, with Brent crude prices flat despite Nigeria’s status as an OPEC member.

Trump has previously designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over religious freedom, a label rejected by Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who has faced growing ISIS pressure in the northeast.

The strike against ISIS fits into a broader pattern of Trump using military force abroad, including recent large-scale airstrikes in Syria and Iran and gunboat diplomacy in the Caribbean to accelerate regime instability in Venezuela.