US Warns of Additional Nigeria Strikes as Abuja Speaks of 'Joint Continuing Operations'.
The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has warned of additional military actions against IS targets in northwest Nigeria. This follows a short time after American forces conducted operations against insurgent bases. The ex-president Donald Trump has described these actions as part of a mission to end the killing of Christians.
“The commander-in-chief was explicit last month: the murder of innocent Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” the defense secretary stated on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Thankful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”
Nigeria's Foreign Minister Describes Strikes as Joint Operation
Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the American military actions were “part of collaborative continuing operations.” This statement came after Trump had earlier alleged Nigeria’s government of failing to prevent Christians from being killed.
Nigeria is constitutionally a non-religious state with a population almost evenly split between Muslims and Christians. Violence against Christians has garnered focus from conservative groups in the United States, who frame it as religious persecution. Nigerian authorities have noted that armed groups target both Christians and Muslims.
Information and Collaboration Behind the Airstrikes
Nigeria provided the information for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a local broadcaster. He detailed that he had consulted with his U.S. counterpart, before called the Nigerian president for approval, and then conferred with the American official again.
“We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar said. “This is what we’ve long desired, to work with the Americans, to work with other countries, to combat terrorism, to end the death of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.”
The U.S. military’s Africa Command confirmed the operations in Sokoto state had been carried out in coordination with local officials.
Background of Conflict in Northwestern Nigeria
Forests in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as bases by gangs of armed bandits and members of ISSP. Some observers say this IS branch started when herders joined together to fight bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is mostly Muslim.
Conflicts between Muslim herders and mostly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in competition for land and water.
- Priests and pastors have increasingly been taken hostage, though some specialists say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than religious discrimination.
- 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 largely unrelated to the violence in the north-west.
Continuing Unrest and Data
There have been thousands of incidents of violence in Nigeria this year, with about 50% of them targeting civilians, according to research 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 a single faith. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.”
Wider American Military Policy
This intervention comes amid a broader pattern of U.S. military engagement overseas during this period. Despite campaigning as a “champion of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “endless wars,” the initial period of this presidency has seen military actions in several countries and a significant military buildup in another region.
No official from the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any casualties in the recent airstrikes. When asked if more would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is ongoing.”
