US Warns of Additional Nigerian Strikes as Abuja Speaks of 'Joint Ongoing Missions'.

The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled additional military actions against IS strongholds in north-western Nigeria. This comes hours after American forces took action against insurgent bases. The ex-president Donald Trump has described these efforts as part of a campaign to halt the killing of Christians.

“The commander-in-chief was explicit previously: 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 … Grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”

The Nigerian Foreign Minister Describes Actions as Collaborative Operation

Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint continuing operations.” This comment came after Trump had earlier alleged Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to prevent Christians from being killed.

Nigeria is constitutionally a secular 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 target both Christians and Muslims.

Intelligence and Collaboration Preceding the Missions

Nigerian authorities provided the intelligence for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a local broadcaster. He explained that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, then contacted the Nigerian president for authorization, and subsequently conferred 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 work with other countries, to fight terrorism, to end the death of innocent Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.”

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

Background of Conflict in North-West Nigeria

Forests in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as hideouts by gangs of armed bandits and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some analysts say this affiliate started when herders joined together to combat bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.

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

• Clergy and religious leaders have been increasingly taken hostage, though some specialists say this may be driven more by financial motives than religious discrimination.
• A Christmas Eve suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria took the lives of at least five people and injured dozens more, in a separate conflict mostly unrelated to the violence in the north-west.

Continuing Unrest and Data

There have been thousands of events of violence in Nigeria this year, with about 50% of them affecting civilians, according to research data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the most affected regions.

Tuggar emphasized that the operation was about “safeguarding Nigerians and civilians,” not one religion. “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 campaigning as a “champion of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the initial period of this presidency has seen strikes in several countries and a significant military buildup in another region.

Neither the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any casualties in the latest airstrikes. When questioned if more would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a new phase of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is ongoing.”