🔗 Share this article US Signals of Additional Nigeria Airstrikes as Nigeria's Capital Talks of 'Collaborative Ongoing Operations'. The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has warned of further strikes against IS targets in north-western Nigeria. This comes a short time after U.S. military forces conducted operations against militant camps. The former president Donald Trump has characterized these actions as part of a mission to stop the slaughter of Christians. “The president was clear last month: the killing of defenseless Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” Hegseth stated on a social media platform. “The Pentagon is always ready, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Thankful for Nigerian government backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!” Nigeria's Foreign Minister Describes Strikes as Joint Effort Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the American military actions were “part of collaborative ongoing operations.” This statement followed after the former U.S. leader had previously accused Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to stop Christians from being killed. Nigeria is officially a non-religious state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Violence against Christians has garnered focus from conservative groups in the United States, who frame it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have pointed out that armed groups target both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Collaboration Behind the Airstrikes Nigerian authorities supplied the intelligence for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a local broadcaster. He explained that he had consulted with his American opposite number, then called the Nigerian president for authorization, and subsequently conferred with the American official again. “We have been working closely with the Americans,” Tuggar stated. “This is what we’ve long desired, to partner with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to combat terrorism, to stop the killing of blameless Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.” The U.S. military’s Africa Command confirmed the operations in Sokoto state had been executed in coordination with Nigerian authorities. Context of Violence in North-West 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 affiliate started when herders banded together to combat bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim. Conflicts between pastoralists and predominantly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in competition for resources. Priests and religious leaders have been increasingly taken hostage, 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 took the lives of at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a distinct insurgency mostly unrelated to the violence in the north-west. Ongoing Violence and Statistics There have been numerous 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 emphasized that the operation was about “protecting Nigerians and civilians,” not a single faith. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.” Wider U.S. Military Posture This action comes amid a broader pattern of U.S. military engagement overseas during this period. Despite campaigning as a “champion of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the initial period of this term has seen strikes 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 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.”
The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has warned of further strikes against IS targets in north-western Nigeria. This comes a short time after U.S. military forces conducted operations against militant camps. The former president Donald Trump has characterized these actions as part of a mission to stop the slaughter of Christians. “The president was clear last month: the killing of defenseless Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” Hegseth stated on a social media platform. “The Pentagon is always ready, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Thankful for Nigerian government backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!” Nigeria's Foreign Minister Describes Strikes as Joint Effort Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the American military actions were “part of collaborative ongoing operations.” This statement followed after the former U.S. leader had previously accused Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to stop Christians from being killed. Nigeria is officially a non-religious state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Violence against Christians has garnered focus from conservative groups in the United States, who frame it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have pointed out that armed groups target both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Collaboration Behind the Airstrikes Nigerian authorities supplied the intelligence for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a local broadcaster. He explained that he had consulted with his American opposite number, then called the Nigerian president for authorization, and subsequently conferred with the American official again. “We have been working closely with the Americans,” Tuggar stated. “This is what we’ve long desired, to partner with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to combat terrorism, to stop the killing of blameless Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.” The U.S. military’s Africa Command confirmed the operations in Sokoto state had been executed in coordination with Nigerian authorities. Context of Violence in North-West 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 affiliate started when herders banded together to combat bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim. Conflicts between pastoralists and predominantly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in competition for resources. Priests and religious leaders have been increasingly taken hostage, 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 took the lives of at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a distinct insurgency mostly unrelated to the violence in the north-west. Ongoing Violence and Statistics There have been numerous 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 emphasized that the operation was about “protecting Nigerians and civilians,” not a single faith. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.” Wider U.S. Military Posture This action comes amid a broader pattern of U.S. military engagement overseas during this period. Despite campaigning as a “champion of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the initial period of this term has seen strikes 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 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.”