American Signals of More Nigeria Military Actions as Abuja Speaks of 'Joint Continuing Operations'.

The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has warned of new military actions against Islamic State positions in north-western Nigeria. This comes a short time after U.S. military forces took action against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has described these actions as part of a campaign to end the slaughter of Christians.

“The president was clear previously: the murder 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 discovered tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”

Nigeria's Foreign Minister Describes Actions as Collaborative Operation

Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the American military actions were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This comment followed after the former U.S. leader had previously alleged Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to prevent Christians from being killed.

Nigeria is officially a non-religious state with a population almost evenly split between Muslims and Christians. Violence against Christians has drawn attention from conservative groups in the United States, who describe it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have noted that armed groups target both Christians and Muslims.

Information and Coordination Preceding the Airstrikes

Nigeria supplied the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a television network. He explained that he had consulted with his American opposite number, before called 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 cooperate with other countries, to fight terrorism, to end the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.”

The U.S. military’s Africom said the strikes in Sokoto state had been executed in coordination with Nigerian authorities.

Background of Conflict in Northwestern Nigeria

Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as hideouts by gangs of armed bandits and members of ISSP. Some analysts say this IS branch started when herders joined together to combat bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.

Clashes between Muslim herders and mostly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in disputes for resources.

• Clergy and religious leaders have increasingly been taken hostage, though some specialists say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than religious discrimination.
• A December 24th suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a separate conflict mostly unrelated 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 half of them targeting civilians, according to conflict monitoring data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the most affected regions.

Tuggar stressed that the mission was about “protecting Nigerians and civilians,” not one religion. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.”

Broader U.S. Military Policy

This intervention occurs amid a wider pattern of American engagement overseas during this period. Despite running as a “champion of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the initial period of this term has seen military actions in several countries and a significant 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 questioned 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.”