American Issues Warning of More Nigerian Strikes as Abuja Talks of 'Joint Ongoing Missions'.

The American defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has warned of additional military actions against IS positions in north-western Nigeria. This comes a short time after U.S. military forces took action against militant camps. The former president Donald Trump has described these efforts as part of a mission to stop the killing of Christians.

“The president was clear last month: the murder of defenseless Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” Hegseth wrote on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is constantly prepared, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Grateful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”

The Nigerian Foreign Minister Frames Actions as Collaborative Operation

Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of collaborative continuing operations.” This statement followed after Trump had previously accused Nigeria’s government of failing to stop Christians from being killed.

Nigeria is officially a non-religious state with a population almost evenly split between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has drawn attention from religious groups in the United States, who describe it as religious persecution. Nigerian authorities have noted that militants attack both Christians and Muslims.

Intelligence and Coordination Behind the Airstrikes

Nigeria provided the intelligence for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He explained that he had consulted with his American opposite number, then contacted the Nigerian president for approval, and subsequently spoke 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 work with other countries, to combat terrorism, to end the killing of blameless Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.”

The U.S. military’s Africa Command confirmed the strikes in Sokoto state had been executed in concert with Nigerian authorities.

Background of Violence in North-West Nigeria

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

Conflicts between pastoralists and predominantly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by ethnicity and religion, but their roots lie in competition for land and water.

• Priests and pastors have increasingly been taken hostage, though some specialists say this may be driven more by financial motives than religious discrimination.
• A Christmas Eve attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a separate conflict largely unrelated to the violence in the north-west.

Continuing Violence and Statistics

There have been thousands of events of violence in Nigeria this year, with about half of them affecting civilians, according to research data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the hardest-hit regions.

Tuggar stressed that the mission was about “protecting Nigerians and innocent lives,” not one religion. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.”

Wider U.S. Foreign Posture

This action 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 multiple countries and a significant military buildup in another region.

No official from the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any casualties in the latest 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.”