American Issues Warning of More Nigeria Military Actions as Abuja Speaks of 'Joint Continuing Missions'.

The U.S. Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has warned of further airstrikes against IS positions in north-western Nigeria. This comes hours after U.S. military forces launched strikes against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has framed these actions as part of a mission to end the killing of Christians.

“The commander-in-chief was explicit previously: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” Hegseth wrote on a social platform. “The Pentagon is always ready, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Thankful for Nigerian government backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!”

Nigeria's Top Diplomat Frames Actions as Collaborative Effort

Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of collaborative ongoing operations.” This statement followed after Trump had earlier accused Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to prevent Christians from being killed.

Nigeria is constitutionally a secular state with a population almost evenly split 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 pointed out that armed groups target both Christians and Muslims.

Information and Coordination Behind the Airstrikes

Nigeria supplied the intelligence for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He detailed that he had spoken with his American opposite number, then called the Nigerian president for authorization, and then spoke with the American official again.

“We have been working closely with the Americans,” Tuggar said. “This is what we’ve long desired, to partner with the Americans, to work with other countries, to fight terrorism, to end the death of blameless Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.”

The U.S. military’s Africom confirmed the strikes in Sokoto state had been carried out in coordination with local officials.

Context of Violence in Northwestern Nigeria

Forests in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as hideouts by gangs of armed bandits and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some observers say this affiliate originated when herders banded together to combat bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.

Conflicts between Muslim herders and mostly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by communal and sectarian factors, but their core causes lie in disputes for resources.

• Priests and pastors have increasingly been kidnapped for ransom, though some specialists 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 mostly unrelated to the violence in the north-west.

Continuing Violence and Data

There have been thousands of events 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 hardest-hit regions.

Tuggar emphasized that the mission was about “protecting Nigerians and civilians,” not a single faith. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.”

Wider U.S. Military Posture

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

Neither the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any casualties in the latest airstrikes. When questioned if additional actions would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”