US Warns of More Nigerian Strikes as Nigeria's Capital Talks of 'Collaborative Ongoing Missions'.

The U.S. Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has warned of new airstrikes against IS targets in northwest Nigeria. This follows a short time after American forces launched strikes against insurgent bases. The former president Donald Trump has characterized these actions as part of a campaign to halt the killing of Christians.

“The president was explicit last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” Hegseth stated on a social platform. “The Department of Defense is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Thankful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”

Nigeria's Top Diplomat Frames Actions as Joint Operation

Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the American military actions were “part of collaborative continuing operations.” This comment followed after Trump had earlier alleged Nigeria’s government of failing to prevent 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 frame it as religious persecution. Nigerian authorities have pointed out that militants target both Christians and Muslims.

Intelligence and Coordination Behind the Airstrikes

Nigeria provided the information for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a television network. He detailed that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, then called the Nigerian president for approval, and then conferred with the American official again.

“We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar stated. “This is what we’ve long desired, to partner with the Americans, to work with other countries, to combat terrorism, to end the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.”

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

Context of Violence in Northwestern 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 started when pastoralists joined together to combat bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.

Clashes between pastoralists and predominantly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in competition for land and water.

• Priests and religious leaders have increasingly been taken hostage, though some experts say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than religious discrimination.
• A Christmas Eve attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a separate conflict mostly separate to the violence in the north-west.

Continuing Violence and Data

There have been numerous events of violence in Nigeria this year, with about half of them targeting civilians, according to research data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the most affected regions.

Tuggar stressed that the mission was about “safeguarding 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 American activity overseas during this administration. Despite running as a “candidate of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “endless wars,” the first year of this term has seen military actions in multiple countries and a major military buildup in another region.

No official from the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any fatalities in the recent airstrikes. When asked if more would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is continuing.”