American Issues Warning of Additional Nigerian Military Actions as Abuja Speaks of 'Joint Continuing Operations'.

The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled additional airstrikes against ISIS positions in northwest Nigeria. This comes a short time after American forces took action against insurgent bases. The ex-president Donald Trump has characterized these efforts as part of a campaign to stop the killing of Christians.

“The president was clear last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria must end,” the defense secretary wrote on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is constantly prepared, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Thankful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”

Nigeria's Top Diplomat Frames Actions as Joint Effort

Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the American military actions were “part of collaborative continuing operations.” This statement followed after Trump had previously alleged Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to stop Christians from being killed.

Nigeria is constitutionally a non-religious state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has garnered focus from conservative groups in the United States, who describe it as religious persecution. Nigerian authorities have pointed out that militants attack both Christians and Muslims.

Intelligence and Coordination Behind the Missions

Nigerian authorities supplied the information for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He detailed that he had spoken with his American opposite number, 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 partner with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to fight terrorism, to end the killing 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 concert with local officials.

Context of Conflict in Northwestern Nigeria

Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as hideouts by criminal groups and members of ISSP. Some observers say this IS branch originated 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 aggravated by communal and sectarian factors, but their core causes lie in competition for land and water.

• Clergy and religious leaders have been increasingly kidnapped for ransom, though some specialists say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than sectarian hatred.
• A Christmas Eve attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and injured dozens more, in a separate conflict largely separate to the violence in the north-west.

Continuing Violence and Data

There have been thousands of incidents of violence in Nigeria this year, with about 50% 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 innocent lives,” not a single faith. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.”

Wider American Foreign Policy

This intervention comes amid a broader pattern of American engagement overseas during this period. Despite campaigning as a “candidate of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the initial period of this term has seen military actions in multiple countries and a significant military buildup in another region.

No official from the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any casualties in the recent airstrikes. When asked if additional actions would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is ongoing.”