American Warns of Further Nigerian Strikes as Nigeria's Capital Talks of 'Collaborative Continuing Operations'.

The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has indicated additional strikes against ISIS strongholds in northwest Nigeria. This comes hours after American forces conducted operations against insurgent bases. The ex-president Donald Trump has described these actions as part of a campaign to halt the slaughter of Christians.

“The president was clear last month: the killing of defenseless Christians in Nigeria must end,” the defense secretary stated on a social media platform. “The Pentagon is always ready, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Grateful for Abuja's backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!”

Nigeria's Foreign Minister Describes Strikes as Collaborative Effort

Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint continuing operations.” This statement came after Trump had previously accused Nigeria’s government of failing to stop Christians from being killed.

Nigeria is officially a non-religious state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Violence against Christians has drawn attention from conservative groups in the United States, who describe it as religious persecution. The government in Abuja have noted that militants attack both Christians and Muslims.

Information and Coordination Preceding the Airstrikes

Nigeria supplied the intelligence for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a local broadcaster. He detailed that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, before contacted the Nigerian president for approval, and then conferred with the American official again.

“We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar said. “This is what we’ve long desired, to work with the Americans, to work with other countries, to fight terrorism, to end the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.”

The U.S. military’s Africom said the strikes in Sokoto state had been executed in coordination with local officials.

Context of Conflict in Northwestern Nigeria

Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as hideouts by criminal groups and members of ISSP. Some observers say this affiliate originated when herders banded together to fight bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.

Clashes between Muslim herders and mostly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by communal and sectarian factors, but their core causes lie in disputes for land and water.

• Priests and pastors have been increasingly kidnapped for ransom, though some specialists say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than religious discrimination.
• A December 24th suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and injured dozens more, in a separate conflict mostly separate to the violence in the north-west.

Ongoing Violence and Statistics

There have been numerous events of violence in Nigeria this year, with about half of them affecting civilians, according to conflict monitoring data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the hardest-hit regions.

Tuggar emphasized that the mission was about “protecting Nigerians and civilians,” not one religion. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.”

Wider U.S. Military Posture

This action comes amid a broader pattern of U.S. military activity overseas during this administration. Despite campaigning as a “candidate of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “endless wars,” the initial period of this presidency has seen military actions in multiple countries and a major military buildup in another region.

No official from the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any casualties in the latest airstrikes. When questioned if more would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a new phase of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is ongoing.”