American Warns of Additional Nigeria Airstrikes as Nigeria's Capital Talks of 'Collaborative Ongoing Missions'.

The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled further military actions against Islamic State positions in northwest Nigeria. This comes hours after U.S. military forces launched strikes against insurgent bases. The former president Donald Trump has framed these efforts as part of a mission to halt the slaughter of Christians.

“The president was clear previously: the killing of defenseless Christians in Nigeria must end,” the defense secretary wrote on a social platform. “The Pentagon is constantly prepared, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Thankful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”

Nigeria's Top Diplomat Frames Strikes as Collaborative Effort

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

Nigeria is officially a secular state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Violence against Christians has drawn attention from religious groups in the United States, who frame it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have pointed out that militants target both Christians and Muslims.

Intelligence and Collaboration Preceding the Missions

Nigeria provided the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a local broadcaster. He explained that he had consulted with his U.S. counterpart, then called the Nigerian president for authorization, and then spoke with the American official again.

“We have been working closely with the Americans,” Tuggar said. “This is what we’ve always been hoping for, to partner with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to combat terrorism, to stop the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.”

The U.S. military’s Africom said the operations in Sokoto state had been carried out in concert with local officials.

Background of Violence in Northwestern Nigeria

Forests in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as hideouts by gangs of armed bandits and members of ISSP. Some analysts say this affiliate originated when pastoralists banded together to fight bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.

Conflicts between pastoralists and mostly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by ethnicity and religion, but their roots lie in disputes for land and water.

• Clergy and pastors have increasingly been kidnapped for ransom, though some specialists say this may be driven more by financial motives than sectarian hatred.
• A Christmas Eve attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a separate conflict mostly separate to the violence in the north-west.

Continuing Unrest and Data

There have been numerous events of violence in Nigeria this year, with about 50% of them targeting civilians, according to conflict monitoring data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the most affected regions.

Tuggar stressed that the operation was about “safeguarding Nigerians and civilians,” not one religion. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.”

Wider U.S. Military Posture

This intervention comes amid a broader pattern of U.S. military engagement overseas during this administration. Despite running as a “candidate of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the first year of this term has seen military actions in several countries and a major deployment of forces in another region.

No official from the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any casualties in the latest airstrikes. When asked if additional actions would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is ongoing.”