United States President Donald Trump has claimed that the U.S. military carried out airstrikes against terrorist targets in northern Nigeria, describing the action as America’s first direct military operation in the West African country.

In a statement posted late Thursday on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump said the strikes were carried out on his orders and were aimed at militants he accused of killing civilians, particularly Christians, in the region.

He alleged that the targeted groups were linked to the Islamic State and warned that further attacks could follow if the violence continued. Trump said the operation was executed with precision but did not provide details on casualties or damage.

The announcement came amid reports that the United States had been conducting intelligence and surveillance flights over Nigerian airspace in recent months, as concerns over insecurity in parts of the country grew.

The Nigerian government has just confirmed that airstrikes were carried out in parts of northern Nigeria, but did not provide extensive details on the nature of the operation or the level of U.S. involvement.

There was no immediate public reaction from President Bola Tinubu, while defence authorities said further information would be released as appropriate.