American Signals of Further Nigerian Strikes as Abuja Speaks of 'Collaborative Continuing Operations'.

The U.S. Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has signaled further strikes against IS positions in northwest Nigeria. This follows a short time after American forces launched strikes against insurgent bases. The former president Donald Trump has described these actions as part of a campaign to stop the killing of Christians.

“The commander-in-chief was clear last month: the murder of innocent Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” the defense secretary posted on a social platform. “The Department of Defense is constantly prepared, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Thankful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”

Nigeria's Foreign Minister Frames Strikes as Joint Effort

Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of collaborative continuing operations.” This comment followed after the former U.S. leader had earlier alleged Nigeria’s government of failing to prevent Christians from being killed.

Nigeria is constitutionally a non-religious state with a population almost evenly split between Muslims and Christians. Violence against Christians has garnered focus from religious groups in the United States, who frame it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have noted that militants attack both Christians and Muslims.

Information and Coordination Preceding the Airstrikes

Nigerian authorities provided the intelligence for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a local broadcaster. He detailed that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, before contacted the Nigerian president for approval, and subsequently conferred with the American official again.

“We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar stated. “This is what we’ve always been hoping for, to work with the Americans, to work 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 strikes in Sokoto state had been executed in coordination with local officials.

Background of Violence in Northwestern Nigeria

Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as hideouts by criminal groups and members of ISSP. Some analysts say this affiliate originated when herders joined together to combat bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.

Clashes between pastoralists and mostly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by communal and sectarian factors, but their roots lie in competition for resources.

• Priests and religious leaders have increasingly been kidnapped for ransom, though some experts say this may be driven more by financial motives than sectarian hatred.
• A Christmas Eve suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and injured dozens more, in a separate conflict mostly separate to the violence in the north-west.

Ongoing Violence and Statistics

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

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

Wider U.S. Foreign Posture

This intervention comes amid a broader pattern of American engagement overseas during this administration. 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 military actions in multiple countries and a major deployment of forces in another region.

No official from the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any fatalities in the latest airstrikes. When asked if more would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”