US Warns of Further Nigeria Airstrikes as Abuja Talks of 'Collaborative Ongoing Missions'.

The American Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has indicated new military actions against ISIS positions in north-western Nigeria. This follows hours after U.S. military forces took action against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has framed these efforts as part of a mission to stop the slaughter of Christians.

“The commander-in-chief was clear last month: the murder of defenseless Christians in Nigeria must end,” Hegseth posted on a social media platform. “The Pentagon is always ready, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Grateful for Abuja's backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!”

The Nigerian Top Diplomat Describes Actions as Joint Effort

Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the American military actions were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This statement followed after the former U.S. leader had earlier alleged Nigeria’s government of failing to stop Christians from being killed.

Nigeria is constitutionally a non-religious state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has drawn attention from conservative groups in the United States, who frame it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have noted that armed groups attack both Christians and Muslims.

Information and Coordination Behind the Missions

Nigeria supplied the intelligence for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He explained that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, before called the Nigerian president for approval, 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 work with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to combat terrorism, to end the killing of blameless Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.”

The U.S. military’s Africom said the operations in Sokoto state had been executed in coordination with Nigerian authorities.

Background of Violence in Northwestern 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 affiliate originated when pastoralists joined together to combat bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.

Clashes between Muslim herders and predominantly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by communal and sectarian factors, but their roots lie in competition for land and water.

• Clergy and religious leaders have been increasingly taken hostage, though some specialists say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than religious discrimination.
• A December 24th attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria took the lives of at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a distinct conflict mostly separate to the violence in the north-west.

Continuing Violence and Statistics

There have been numerous incidents 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 operation was about “protecting Nigerians and innocent lives,” not a single faith. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.”

Broader American Military Policy

This intervention occurs amid a wider pattern of American engagement overseas during this period. Despite campaigning as a “candidate of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the first year of this presidency has seen strikes in multiple countries and a significant deployment of forces in another region.

No official from the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any casualties in the latest airstrikes. When asked if more would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a new phase of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is continuing.”