US Warns of Further Nigerian Airstrikes as Nigeria's Capital Talks of 'Joint Ongoing Operations'.

The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled additional airstrikes against IS positions in north-western Nigeria. This follows a short time after U.S. military forces launched strikes against insurgent bases. The former president Donald Trump has framed these efforts as part of a mission to halt the slaughter of Christians.

“The president was clear last month: the murder of defenseless Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” the defense secretary wrote on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Thankful for Nigerian government backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!”

The Nigerian Top Diplomat Describes Strikes as Joint Operation

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

Nigeria is officially a secular state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Attacks 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 militants attack both Christians and Muslims.

Intelligence and Coordination Preceding the Missions

Nigeria provided the intelligence for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He explained that he had consulted with his U.S. counterpart, then called the Nigerian president for approval, and subsequently spoke 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 partner with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to fight terrorism, to stop the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.”

The U.S. military’s Africom confirmed the operations in Sokoto state had been carried out in concert with Nigerian authorities.

Context of Violence in North-West Nigeria

Forests in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as bases by gangs of armed bandits and members of ISSP. Some analysts say this IS branch started when herders joined together to fight 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 core causes lie in disputes for resources.

• Priests and religious leaders have been increasingly taken hostage, though some specialists say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than religious discrimination.
• A Christmas Eve suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria took the lives of at least five people and injured dozens more, in a separate conflict mostly unrelated to the violence in the north-west.

Ongoing Violence and Data

There have been thousands of events of violence in Nigeria this year, with about 50% of them targeting civilians, according to conflict monitoring data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the hardest-hit regions.

Tuggar emphasized that the mission was about “safeguarding Nigerians and civilians,” not a single faith. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.”

Broader American Foreign Policy

This intervention occurs amid a broader pattern of U.S. military engagement overseas during this period. Despite running as a “candidate of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the first year of this presidency has seen military actions in several countries and a significant military buildup in another region.

No official from the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any fatalities in the recent airstrikes. When questioned if additional actions would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is ongoing.”