The attack comes after President Trump ordered the Defense Department last month to prepare to intervene militarily in Nigeria to protect Christians from Islamic militants.

The United States military carried out airstrikes against Islamic State targets in northwestern Nigeria on Christmas Day, following months of warnings from President Donald Trump regarding violence against Christians in the country.

Participating in the strikes raises the risk that the government will be perceived as endorsing the Trump's language on wider sectarian strife, a sensitive issue throughout Nigeria’s history.

The U.S. recently designated Nigeria a “country of particular concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act.