American Warns of Additional Nigeria Military Actions as Abuja Talks of 'Joint Continuing Operations'.

The American defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled further airstrikes against ISIS positions in north-western Nigeria. This follows 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 stop the killing of Christians.

“The commander-in-chief was clear last month: the murder of innocent Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” Hegseth wrote on a social platform. “The Department of Defense is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Thankful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”

The Nigerian Foreign Minister Describes Strikes as Joint Operation

Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the American military actions were “part of collaborative continuing operations.” This statement came after the former U.S. leader had previously accused Nigeria’s government of failing to prevent Christians from being killed.

Nigeria is constitutionally a non-religious state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has drawn attention from religious groups in the United States, who describe it as sectarian targeting. Nigerian authorities have pointed out that armed groups attack both Christians and Muslims.

Information and Collaboration Behind the Airstrikes

Nigeria supplied the information for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a television network. He explained that he had consulted with his U.S. counterpart, then contacted the Nigerian president for authorization, 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 partner with the Americans, to work with other countries, to combat terrorism, to stop the killing of blameless Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.”

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

Background of Conflict in North-West Nigeria

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

Conflicts between pastoralists and predominantly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in disputes for resources.

• Priests and religious leaders have increasingly been taken hostage, though some experts say this may be driven more by financial motives than sectarian hatred.
• A December 24th attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and injured dozens more, in a distinct insurgency mostly unrelated to the violence in the north-west.

Continuing Unrest and Data

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

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

Wider American Foreign Posture

This intervention occurs amid a broader pattern of U.S. military engagement overseas during this period. Despite running as a “champion 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 deployment of forces 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 replied: “You can call it a new phase of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is ongoing.”