Welcome to the NewsHour. President Trump said today that he delayed American military strikes in northwest Nigeria until Christmas Day to deliver a message to groups he alleges are targeting Christians in that country.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian government praised the attacks and said it provided the U.S. with the necessary intelligence.

Nick Schiffrin is here with the details, Nick. William, the area that the U.S. with the necessary intelligence. Nick Schiffrin is here with the details, Nick.

William, the area that the U.S. bombed in Nigeria is near the border of neighboring Niger,

and a part of Western Africa that suffered from cross-border terrorism.

Northern Nigeria has suffered from violence for years.

And while the president describes this is focused on protecting Christians,

the violence in Nigeria

and the groups committing it

are far more complex.

In the Gulf of Guinea,

a tomahawk missile flies to an area

never before struck by the U.S. military,

northwest Nigeria.

Where locals picked up debris as nearby flames kept

burning. By day, the grass was scorched and police cordoned off an impact site. This missile,

at least in this remote rural area, apparently killed no one.

There was no loss of life and no loss of property.

A U.S. military official tells PBS NewsHour a ship off Nigeria's coast fired more than a dozen

tomahawks at two ISIS training camps. Local security analysts say the missiles hit in at least four

locations, all in Nigeria's northwest Sokoto State.

The area has been plagued by a group known as La Kruawa that claims affiliation with

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