American Issues Warning of Further Nigerian Airstrikes as Nigeria's Capital Speaks of 'Joint Continuing Operations'.

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

“The president was explicit previously: the murder of defenseless Christians in Nigeria must end,” Hegseth stated on a social platform. “The Department of Defense is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Thankful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”

Nigeria's Top Diplomat Frames Actions as Joint Operation

Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the American military actions were “part of joint ongoing 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. Violence against Christians has garnered focus from religious groups in the United States, who describe it as sectarian targeting. Nigerian authorities have noted that militants target both Christians and Muslims.

Intelligence and Collaboration Behind the Missions

Nigerian authorities supplied the information for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a local broadcaster. He explained that he had consulted with his U.S. counterpart, then called the Nigerian president for approval, and then spoke with the American official again.

“We have been working closely 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 fight terrorism, to stop the death of blameless Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.”

The U.S. military’s Africa Command said the strikes in Sokoto state had been executed in coordination with local officials.

Context of Violence 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 Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some analysts say this IS branch originated when herders banded together to combat bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.

Conflicts between pastoralists and predominantly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by communal and sectarian factors, but their roots lie in disputes for land and water.

• Priests and pastors have increasingly been kidnapped for ransom, though some experts say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than religious discrimination.
• A December 24th suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a distinct insurgency mostly unrelated to the violence in the north-west.

Ongoing Violence and Statistics

There have been thousands of events of violence in Nigeria this year, with about 50% 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 innocent lives,” not a single faith. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.”

Broader U.S. Foreign Policy

This intervention comes amid a wider pattern of U.S. military engagement overseas during this administration. Despite running as a “candidate of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “endless wars,” the first year of this presidency has seen strikes in several countries and a major deployment of forces in another region.

No official from the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any casualties in the recent airstrikes. When asked if more would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”