American Signals of Additional Nigeria Strikes as Abuja Talks of 'Collaborative Continuing Operations'.

The U.S. Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has warned of additional airstrikes against IS strongholds in northwest Nigeria. This comes hours after American forces launched strikes against insurgent bases. The former president Donald Trump has characterized these actions as part of a mission to stop the killing of Christians.

“The commander-in-chief was clear last month: the murder of defenseless Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” Hegseth wrote on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is always ready, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Grateful for Nigerian government backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!”

Nigeria's Top Diplomat Frames Strikes as Collaborative Effort

Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the American military actions were “part of joint continuing operations.” This comment followed after Trump had previously alleged Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to prevent Christians from being killed.

Nigeria is officially a secular state with a population almost evenly split 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 target both Christians and Muslims.

Information and Collaboration Preceding the Missions

Nigerian authorities provided the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a local broadcaster. He explained that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, then called the Nigerian president for approval, and subsequently spoke with the American official again.

“We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar stated. “This is what we’ve always been hoping for, to work with the Americans, to work with other countries, to combat terrorism, to end the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.”

The U.S. military’s Africom confirmed the operations in Sokoto state had been executed in concert with Nigerian authorities.

Context of Violence in Northwestern Nigeria

Forests in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as bases by criminal groups and members of ISSP. Some observers say this affiliate originated when herders banded together to fight bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is mostly Muslim.

Conflicts between pastoralists and predominantly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in disputes for resources.

• Clergy and pastors have been increasingly taken hostage, though some specialists say this may be driven more by financial motives than religious discrimination.
• A Christmas Eve attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a distinct insurgency largely separate to the violence in the north-west.

Continuing Unrest and Statistics

There have been numerous incidents of violence in Nigeria this year, with about half of them targeting civilians, according to research data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the most affected regions.

Tuggar stressed that the mission was about “protecting Nigerians and innocent lives,” not a single faith. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.”

Wider U.S. Foreign Policy

This intervention occurs amid a broader pattern of American engagement overseas during this administration. Despite running as a “champion of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the initial period of this term has seen strikes in several countries and a significant deployment of forces in another region.

No official from the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any fatalities in the recent airstrikes. When asked if more would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is ongoing.”