🔗 Share this article US Signals of More Nigeria Airstrikes as Nigeria's Capital Speaks of 'Collaborative Continuing Operations'. The U.S. Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has indicated further strikes against IS strongholds in north-western Nigeria. This follows hours after U.S. military forces launched strikes against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has framed these actions as part of a campaign to end the slaughter of Christians. “The president was clear last month: the murder of defenseless Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” the defense secretary posted on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is constantly prepared, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Grateful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!” The Nigerian Foreign Minister Describes Strikes as Joint Effort Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the American military actions were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This statement followed after Trump had earlier accused Nigeria’s government of failing to stop Christians from being killed. Nigeria is constitutionally a secular state with a population almost evenly split between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has drawn attention from conservative groups in the United States, who describe it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have pointed out that armed groups attack both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Collaboration Preceding the Airstrikes Nigerian authorities provided the intelligence for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a television network. He explained 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 working closely with the Americans,” Tuggar said. “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 innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.” The U.S. military’s Africom said the operations in Sokoto state had been executed in coordination with local officials. Context of Violence in North-West Nigeria Forests in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as hideouts by criminal groups and members of ISSP. Some observers say this IS branch started when pastoralists joined together to combat bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is mostly Muslim. Conflicts between Muslim herders and mostly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by ethnicity and religion, but their roots lie in disputes for land and water. Clergy and religious leaders have been increasingly kidnapped for ransom, though some experts say this may be driven more by financial motives than sectarian hatred. A December 24th suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a distinct insurgency mostly separate to the violence in the north-west. Ongoing Unrest and Data There have been thousands of events of violence in Nigeria this year, with about half of them affecting civilians, according to conflict monitoring data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the most affected regions. Tuggar emphasized that the operation was about “protecting Nigerians and civilians,” not a single faith. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.” Broader American Foreign Posture 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 “endless wars,” the initial period of this presidency has seen strikes in multiple countries and a significant deployment of forces in another region. Neither the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any fatalities in the recent airstrikes. When asked if additional actions would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is continuing.”
The U.S. Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has indicated further strikes against IS strongholds in north-western Nigeria. This follows hours after U.S. military forces launched strikes against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has framed these actions as part of a campaign to end the slaughter of Christians. “The president was clear last month: the murder of defenseless Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” the defense secretary posted on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is constantly prepared, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Grateful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!” The Nigerian Foreign Minister Describes Strikes as Joint Effort Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the American military actions were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This statement followed after Trump had earlier accused Nigeria’s government of failing to stop Christians from being killed. Nigeria is constitutionally a secular state with a population almost evenly split between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has drawn attention from conservative groups in the United States, who describe it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have pointed out that armed groups attack both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Collaboration Preceding the Airstrikes Nigerian authorities provided the intelligence for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a television network. He explained 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 working closely with the Americans,” Tuggar said. “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 innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.” The U.S. military’s Africom said the operations in Sokoto state had been executed in coordination with local officials. Context of Violence in North-West Nigeria Forests in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as hideouts by criminal groups and members of ISSP. Some observers say this IS branch started when pastoralists joined together to combat bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is mostly Muslim. Conflicts between Muslim herders and mostly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by ethnicity and religion, but their roots lie in disputes for land and water. Clergy and religious leaders have been increasingly kidnapped for ransom, though some experts say this may be driven more by financial motives than sectarian hatred. A December 24th suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a distinct insurgency mostly separate to the violence in the north-west. Ongoing Unrest and Data There have been thousands of events of violence in Nigeria this year, with about half of them affecting civilians, according to conflict monitoring data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the most affected regions. Tuggar emphasized that the operation was about “protecting Nigerians and civilians,” not a single faith. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.” Broader American Foreign Posture 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 “endless wars,” the initial period of this presidency has seen strikes in multiple countries and a significant deployment of forces in another region. Neither the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any fatalities in the recent airstrikes. When asked if additional actions would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is continuing.”