U.S. President Donald Trump has warned of more military strikes against Nigeria. "I’d love to make it a one-time strike,’’he told the New York Times. ‘’But if they continue to kill Christians,’’ he continued, ‘’it will be a many-time strike.’’

The U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) targeted what it said were ISIS camps in Northwest Nigeria on Christmas Day. At the time, the U.S.military said the operation was conducted at the request of the Nigerian government.

In the interview this week, President Trump acknowledged that Muslims are also being killed in the region. When prodded about comments from his Africa advisor — who noted that militant groups like ISIS and Boko Haram have killed more Muslims than Christians — Trump said, "I think that Muslims are being killed also in Nigeria. But it’s mostly Christians."

Visits to the area near to border with Niger a few days after the attack by reporters from Nigeria and the New York Times found no evidence to confirm the claim that ‘’multiple ISIS terrorists were killed.’’

The Nigerian government has consistently rejected claims that Christians are being systematically persecuted in the country.

According to Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris, 16 GPS-guided precision munitions were fired from drones operating from the Gulf of Guinea in the Christmas Day operation. The Tomahawk cruise missiles were reportedly launched from the USS Paul Ignatius, a U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer.