The US President Donald Trump has warned that he could order more airstrikes on Nigeria if Christians continue to be killed in the West African nation.

In a wide-ranging interview with the New York Times, Trump was asked whether the Christmas Day strikes in Nigeria’s northern Sokoto state, targeting Islamist militants, were part of a broader military campaign.

“I’d love to make it a one-time strike. But if they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike,” he said. Nigeria’s government has rejected Trump’s earlier accusations that it is failing to protect Christians from jihadist attacks, saying that “Muslims, Christians and those of no faith alike” are targeted.

Claims of a genocide against Nigeria’s Christians began circulating last year in some right wing US circles but organisations monitoring political violence in Nigeria say most victims of the jihadist groups are Muslims.

When questioned about this in the interview published on Thursday, Trump replied: “I think that Muslims are being killed also in Nigeria. But it’s mostly Christians.”