American Signals of Further Nigeria Strikes as Nigeria's Capital Talks of 'Joint Ongoing Operations'.

The U.S. Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has warned of additional strikes against Islamic State strongholds in north-western Nigeria. This comes a short time after American forces took action against insurgent bases. The former president Donald Trump has framed these actions as part of a mission to halt the slaughter of Christians.

“The president was clear previously: the murder of defenseless Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” 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 backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!”

Nigeria's Top Diplomat Describes Strikes as Collaborative Operation

Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the American military actions were “part of collaborative continuing operations.” This comment followed after Trump had previously accused Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to prevent Christians from being killed.

Nigeria is officially a secular 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 describe it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have noted that armed groups attack both Christians and Muslims.

Intelligence and Collaboration Behind the Missions

Nigeria supplied the information for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a local broadcaster. He detailed that he had consulted with his American opposite number, then contacted the Nigerian president for approval, and then spoke with the American official again.

“We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar said. “This is what we’ve always been hoping for, to work with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to combat terrorism, to end the killing of blameless Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.”

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

Context of Conflict in North-West Nigeria

Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as bases by gangs of armed bandits 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 mostly Muslim.

Conflicts between pastoralists and mostly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by ethnicity and religion, but their roots lie in disputes for land and water.

• Priests and pastors have increasingly been taken hostage, though some experts say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than sectarian hatred.
• A Christmas Eve attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and injured dozens more, in a separate insurgency largely separate to the violence in the north-west.

Ongoing Unrest and Data

There have been numerous incidents of violence in Nigeria this year, with about half of them affecting civilians, according to conflict monitoring data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the most affected regions.

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

Wider U.S. Military Policy

This intervention comes amid a broader pattern of American activity overseas during this administration. Despite running as a “champion of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “endless wars,” the first year of this presidency has seen strikes 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 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 continuing.”