Sokoto, Nigeria - President Donald Trump said US forces conducted "powerful and deadly" strikes Thursday against alleged ISIS militants in northwestern Nigeria, weeks after he claimed Christians in the country were under threat.

The Nigerian foreign ministry early Friday confirmed the air strikes, describing them as "precision hits on terrorist targets" in the country.

The Department of Defense's US Africa Command said "multiple ISIS terrorists" were killed in an attack in Sokoto state, allegedly conducted at the request of Nigerian authorities.

Trump said he had "previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was."

"MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues," he wrote on Truth Social.

US defense officials later posted video of what appeared to be the nighttime launch of a missile from the deck of a battleship flying the US flag.

The attack is the first by US forces in Nigeria under Trump, and comes after the Republican leader unexpectedly targeted the West African nation in October and November, saying Christians there faced an "existential threat" that amounted to "genocide" amid Nigeria's myriad armed conflicts.

Nigeria's government and independent analysts reject framing the country's violence in terms of religious persecution – a narrative long used by the Christian right in the US and Europe.

The Nigerian foreign ministry said it was cooperating with international partners, including the US.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said he was "grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation" in an X post.

The United States this year placed Nigeria back on the list of countries of "particular concern" regarding religious freedom, and has restricted the issuance of visas to Nigerians.