American Warns of More Nigeria Military Actions as Abuja Talks of 'Joint Ongoing Operations'.

The American defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled further strikes against Islamic State strongholds in northwest Nigeria. This follows hours after U.S. military forces conducted operations against insurgent bases. The ex-president Donald Trump has framed these actions as part of a campaign to stop the killing of Christians.

“The president was clear previously: the murder of innocent Christians in Nigeria must end,” the defense secretary stated on a social platform. “The Pentagon is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Grateful for Abuja's backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!”

The Nigerian Top Diplomat Frames Strikes as Collaborative Effort

Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint continuing operations.” This statement came after the former U.S. leader had earlier accused 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 religious persecution. The government in Abuja have pointed out that militants target both Christians and Muslims.

Information and Collaboration Behind the Airstrikes

Nigeria supplied the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He detailed that he had consulted with his U.S. counterpart, before 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 cooperate with other countries, to fight terrorism, to end the killing of blameless Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.”

The U.S. military’s Africom confirmed the operations in Sokoto state had been executed in concert with local officials.

Context of Conflict in Northwestern Nigeria

Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as bases by criminal groups and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some analysts say this IS branch originated when herders banded together to fight bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is mostly Muslim.

Clashes between pastoralists and predominantly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by communal and sectarian factors, but their core causes lie in competition for land and water.

• Clergy and religious leaders have increasingly been taken hostage, though some specialists say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than sectarian hatred.
• A December 24th attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a separate conflict largely separate to the violence in the north-west.

Continuing Violence and Statistics

There have been thousands of incidents 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 hardest-hit regions.

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

Wider U.S. Military Policy

This intervention comes amid a wider pattern of U.S. military activity overseas during this administration. Despite campaigning as a “candidate of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the initial period of this presidency has seen military actions in several countries and a significant deployment of forces in another region.

No official from the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any fatalities in the latest airstrikes. When questioned if more would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is ongoing.”