American Warns of Further Nigerian Airstrikes as Abuja Talks of 'Collaborative Continuing Operations'.

The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has warned of further strikes against ISIS positions in northwest Nigeria. This follows a short time after U.S. military forces conducted operations against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has framed these actions as part of a mission to stop the killing of Christians.

“The president was explicit previously: the murder of innocent Christians in Nigeria must end,” the defense secretary wrote on a social media platform. “The Pentagon is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Thankful for Abuja's backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!”

Nigeria's Top Diplomat Describes Actions as Collaborative Effort

Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of collaborative ongoing operations.” This comment followed after the former U.S. leader had previously alleged Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to prevent Christians from being killed.

Nigeria is officially a non-religious state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has drawn attention from conservative groups in the United States, who describe it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have noted that militants target both Christians and Muslims.

Intelligence and Coordination Behind the Airstrikes

Nigerian authorities provided the information for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He detailed 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 collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar said. “This is what we’ve long desired, to partner with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to combat terrorism, to stop the death of blameless Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.”

The U.S. military’s Africa Command said the operations in Sokoto state had been carried out 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 criminal groups and members of ISSP. Some analysts say this IS branch originated when pastoralists joined together to combat bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.

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

• Priests and pastors have been increasingly kidnapped for ransom, though some experts say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than sectarian hatred.
• A December 24th attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a distinct conflict mostly 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 half of them affecting 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 innocent lives,” not one religion. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.”

Wider American Foreign Policy

This intervention comes amid a wider pattern of U.S. military activity overseas during this period. Despite running as a “candidate of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the first year of this term has seen strikes in several countries and a major military buildup in another region.

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