US Warns of Additional Nigerian Strikes as Abuja Talks of 'Joint Continuing Missions'.

The American defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled further airstrikes against ISIS positions in northwest Nigeria. This comes a short time after American forces launched strikes against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has described these efforts as part of a campaign to halt the slaughter of Christians.

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

Nigeria's Top Diplomat Frames Strikes as Collaborative Effort

Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of collaborative continuing operations.” This statement followed after Trump had previously alleged Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to stop Christians from being killed.

Nigeria is constitutionally a secular state with a population almost evenly split between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has garnered focus from religious groups in the United States, who describe it as religious persecution. The government in Abuja have noted that militants attack both Christians and Muslims.

Intelligence and Collaboration Preceding the Missions

Nigerian authorities 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, before contacted the Nigerian president for authorization, and subsequently 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 killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.”

The U.S. military’s Africom confirmed the strikes in Sokoto state had been carried out in coordination with local officials.

Context of Conflict in Northwestern Nigeria

Forests in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as bases by criminal groups and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some observers say this IS branch started when herders joined together to combat bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.

Conflicts between Muslim herders and mostly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by ethnicity and religion, but their roots lie in disputes for land and water.

• Clergy and religious leaders have increasingly been kidnapped for ransom, though some experts say this may be driven more by financial motives 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 mostly separate to the violence in the north-west.

Ongoing Unrest and Data

There have been thousands of events 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 hardest-hit regions.

Tuggar emphasized that the mission was about “safeguarding Nigerians and innocent lives,” not a single faith. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.”

Broader American Foreign Policy

This intervention comes amid a broader pattern of American activity overseas during this administration. Despite campaigning 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 multiple countries and a significant military buildup in another region.

No official from the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any casualties in the latest airstrikes. When questioned if additional actions would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is ongoing.”