U.S. forces, at the request of the Nigerian government, launched a powerful strike against ISIS in northwestern Nigeria, U.S. President Donald Trump announced Friday.

In a post on the Truth Social platform, Trump stated:

"Tonight, under my direction as Commander-in-Chief, the United States launched a powerful and lethal strike against the wicked ISIS terrorists in northwestern Nigeria."

The U.S. President claimed that the targets "were brutally killing, primarily, innocent Christians at levels we haven’t seen in years, even centuries."

He continued: "I had previously warned these terrorists that they would pay a heavy price if they did not stop slaughtering Christians—and that was the case tonight."

He added, "The Department of War carried out precise and skillful strikes, as the United States always does. Under my leadership, our country will not allow extremists to thrive."

He concluded, "God bless our military, and Merry Christmas to all—including the dead terrorists, whose numbers will grow if their massacres continue."

A U.S. official stated that the strike in Nigeria was conducted at the request of authorities in Abuja, noting that several ISIS members in Nigeria were killed as a result of the American strike.