What has Happened: Last evening, the U.S. launched strikes on Islamic State targets in Nigeria. President Trump previously said that he would act to protect the country’s Christian population. U.S. Africa Command conducted the strikes in Sokoto state, which borders Niger to the north, in coordination with Nigerian authorities. Nigeria shared intelligence with the U.S. ahead of the Christmas night airstrikes. AFRICOM’s initial assessment is that “multiple ISIS terrorists were killed.” The strikes included Tomahawk missiles fired from a Navy vessel that struck two ISIS camps. Why it Matters: “While other Sahel nations are less inclined to seek U.S. support, ... Academy SITREP – U.S. Strikes Islamic State Targets in Nigeria