US Warns of Further Nigerian Airstrikes as Nigeria's Capital Speaks of 'Collaborative Ongoing Missions'.

The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled additional airstrikes against IS positions in northwest Nigeria. This follows hours after U.S. military forces took action against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has characterized these actions as part of a mission to halt the killing of Christians.

“The commander-in-chief was clear previously: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” Hegseth posted on a social platform. “The Pentagon is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Thankful for Nigerian government backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!”

Nigeria's Top Diplomat Describes Actions as Joint Operation

Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of collaborative continuing operations.” This comment came after Trump had earlier 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. Attacks against Christians has garnered focus from conservative groups in the United States, who frame it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have pointed out that militants attack 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 detailed that he had spoken with his American opposite number, then contacted the Nigerian president for approval, and subsequently spoke with the American official again.

“We have been working closely with the Americans,” Tuggar said. “This is what we’ve long desired, to partner with the Americans, to work 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 strikes in Sokoto state had been carried out in concert with local officials.

Background 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 analysts say this affiliate started when herders banded together to fight bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.

Clashes between Muslim herders and predominantly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in competition for resources.

• Priests and religious leaders have increasingly been taken hostage, though some specialists say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than sectarian hatred.
• A Christmas Eve attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria took the lives of at least five people and injured dozens more, in a distinct conflict mostly separate to the violence in the north-west.

Ongoing Violence and Data

There have been numerous events of violence in Nigeria this year, with about 50% of them affecting civilians, according to research data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the hardest-hit regions.

Tuggar stressed that the operation was about “safeguarding Nigerians and civilians,” not a single faith. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.”

Wider American Foreign Posture

This intervention comes amid a wider pattern of American activity overseas during this period. Despite running as a “candidate of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the first year of this presidency has seen military actions in several countries and a significant deployment of forces in another region.

Neither the U.S. nor 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 fresh chapter of an old conflict. For us it is something that is ongoing.”