US Issues Warning of Additional Nigerian Strikes as Abuja Speaks of 'Collaborative Ongoing Missions'.

The American Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has indicated new military actions against ISIS targets in north-western Nigeria. This comes a short time after U.S. military forces took action against insurgent bases. The former president Donald Trump has described these efforts as part of a campaign to stop the killing of Christians.

“The president was explicit previously: the murder of innocent Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” the defense secretary stated on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Thankful for Abuja's backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!”

The Nigerian Top Diplomat Frames Actions as Collaborative Operation

Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the American military actions were “part of collaborative 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 almost evenly split between Muslims and Christians. Violence against Christians has drawn attention from religious groups in the United States, who frame it as religious persecution. Nigerian authorities have pointed out that armed groups attack both Christians and Muslims.

Intelligence and Coordination Behind the Missions

Nigerian authorities supplied the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a local broadcaster. He detailed that he had spoken with his American opposite number, then contacted the Nigerian president for authorization, and subsequently conferred 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 partner with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to combat terrorism, to stop the killing of blameless Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.”

The U.S. military’s Africa Command confirmed the strikes in Sokoto state had been executed in coordination 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 pastoralists joined together to combat bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.

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

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

Continuing Unrest and Data

There have been numerous incidents 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 most affected regions.

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

Broader U.S. Military Policy

This action comes amid a broader pattern of U.S. military engagement overseas during this administration. Despite running as a “champion 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 revealed 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 long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is ongoing.”