American Issues Warning of Additional Nigeria Airstrikes as Abuja Talks of 'Joint Continuing Operations'.

The U.S. Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has signaled new airstrikes against ISIS strongholds in northwest Nigeria. This follows a short time after American forces launched strikes against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has characterized these efforts as part of a campaign to stop the slaughter of Christians.

“The commander-in-chief was explicit previously: the murder of defenseless Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” Hegseth wrote on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Grateful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”

The Nigerian Top Diplomat Describes Strikes as Joint Effort

Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the American military actions were “part of collaborative ongoing operations.” This statement followed after the former U.S. leader had previously accused Nigeria’s government of failing to stop Christians from being killed.

Nigeria is constitutionally 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 describe it as religious persecution. The government in Abuja have pointed out that militants target both Christians and Muslims.

Intelligence and Coordination Preceding the Missions

Nigerian authorities supplied the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a local broadcaster. He explained that he had spoken with his American opposite number, before called the Nigerian president for authorization, and then conferred with the American official again.

“We have been working closely with the Americans,” Tuggar stated. “This is what we’ve long desired, to partner with the Americans, to work with other countries, to fight terrorism, to end the death of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.”

The U.S. military’s Africa Command said the operations in Sokoto state had been carried out in concert with Nigerian authorities.

Context of Violence in North-West Nigeria

Forests in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as hideouts by gangs of armed bandits and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some observers say this IS branch originated when herders banded together to fight bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.

Conflicts between pastoralists and mostly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by communal and sectarian factors, but their core causes lie in competition for land and water.

• Priests and pastors have been increasingly taken hostage, though some experts say this may be driven more by financial motives than religious discrimination.
• A Christmas Eve suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria took the lives of at least five people and injured dozens more, in a distinct conflict mostly unrelated to the violence in the north-west.

Continuing Violence and Statistics

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 hardest-hit regions.

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

Broader U.S. Military Posture

This action occurs amid a broader pattern of American activity overseas during this period. Despite running as a “champion of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “endless wars,” the first year of this term has seen military actions in multiple 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 latest airstrikes. When asked if additional actions would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an old conflict. For us it is something that is ongoing.”