U.S. Launches Deadly Airstrikes on ISIS in Nigeria | WATCH

President Donald Trump said the United States carried out a “powerful and deadly strike” against Islamic State operatives in north-western Nigeria, describing the jihadist group as “terrorist scum” responsible for the killing of civilians.

In a statement posted late Thursday, Trump said U.S. forces “executed numerous perfect strikes” against Islamic State targets, accusing the group of “targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians.”

U.S. Africa Command later confirmed that the operation was conducted in coordination with Nigerian authorities and took place in Sokoto State.

Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, said the strike was a joint military operation targeting terrorists and stressed that it was “not about a particular religion.” Speaking to the BBC, Tuggar said the operation had been planned for some time and was based on intelligence provided by Nigeria.

He did not rule out further joint strikes, saying future action would depend on decisions taken by the leadership of both countries.

In his statement, Trump said that “under my leadership, our country will not allow radical Islamic terrorism to prosper.” Last month, he ordered the U.S. military to prepare for possible action in Nigeria as concerns mounted over Islamist militant activity.

Claims that Christians are being systematically targeted in Nigeria have gained traction in some U.S. political circles in recent months. Trump has previously declared Nigeria a “country of particular concern” for religious freedom, citing what he called an “existential threat” to Christians, though he did not present supporting evidence.

Violence-monitoring groups and human rights organizations say available data does not show Christians being killed at higher rates than Muslims. Nigeria is roughly evenly divided between Christians and Muslims, and jihadist groups have killed civilians of all faiths.

An adviser to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu said Nigeria welcomes international cooperation but emphasized the country’s sovereignty. Tinubu has repeatedly said Nigeria’s security crisis affects people “across faiths and regions” and is not a religious war.

Jihadist groups, including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province, have carried out attacks in Nigeria for more than a decade, killing thousands. Most victims, according to conflict-tracking groups, have been Muslim.

Nigeria’s foreign ministry said Friday that it remains engaged in structured security cooperation with international partners, including the United States, and confirmed that recent airstrikes in the northwest had hit terrorist targets.

The strike in Nigeria comes just days after the United States carried out a large-scale attack on Islamic State positions in Syria, where U.S. forces said more than 70 targets were hit in a coordinated operation.