American Warns of More Nigerian Strikes as Abuja Speaks of 'Joint Continuing Missions'.

The American Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has warned of additional airstrikes against ISIS strongholds in northwest Nigeria. This comes hours after U.S. military forces conducted operations against militant camps. The former president Donald Trump has described these efforts as part of a campaign to halt the slaughter of Christians.

“The commander-in-chief was clear last month: the murder of innocent Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” Hegseth stated on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is always ready, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Thankful for Abuja's backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!”

Nigeria's Top Diplomat Describes Actions as Collaborative Operation

Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint continuing operations.” This comment followed after Trump had earlier accused Nigeria’s government of failing to stop Christians from being killed.

Nigeria is constitutionally a non-religious state with a population almost evenly split between Muslims and Christians. Attacks 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 Missions

Nigeria provided the intelligence for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He detailed that he had consulted with his U.S. counterpart, then contacted the Nigerian president for approval, and then conferred with the American official again.

“We have been working closely with the Americans,” Tuggar stated. “This is what we’ve always been hoping for, to work with the Americans, to work with other countries, to combat terrorism, to stop the death of innocent Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.”

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

Background of Violence in Northwestern Nigeria

Forests in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as hideouts by gangs of armed bandits and members of ISSP. Some analysts say this IS branch started when pastoralists joined together to combat bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is mostly Muslim.

Conflicts between Muslim herders and mostly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by communal and sectarian factors, but their roots lie in competition for land and water.

• Clergy and pastors have increasingly been taken hostage, though some experts say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than sectarian hatred.
• A December 24th suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a separate insurgency mostly unrelated to the violence in the north-west.

Ongoing Violence and Data

There have been thousands of 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 emphasized that the operation was about “protecting Nigerians and innocent lives,” not one religion. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.”

Broader American Foreign Posture

This action occurs amid a broader pattern of American activity overseas during this administration. Despite running as a “champion of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” 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 recent airstrikes. When asked if additional actions would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is ongoing.”