India, Dec. 26 -- US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that he ordered powerful strikes on ISIS targets, which he referred to as "terrorist scum", in northwest Nigeria. The Republican said that the group had been targeting Christians in the region.

The US strikes came after the Republican warned the West African nation of military intervention in October and November, saying the Christians there face an "existential threat" that amounted to "genocide."

According to Trump, the strikes were carried out against militants who had been targeting and "viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians".

"I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, a...