US Warns of More Nigerian Strikes as Abuja Talks of 'Joint Ongoing Missions'.

The U.S. Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has signaled further strikes against Islamic State strongholds in north-western Nigeria. This comes a short time after American forces took action against militant camps. The former president Donald Trump has characterized these efforts as part of a campaign to halt the slaughter of Christians.

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

The Nigerian Top Diplomat Frames Strikes as Joint Effort

Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the American military actions were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This comment came after the former U.S. leader had earlier 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 drawn attention from religious groups in the United States, who describe it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have noted that militants target both Christians and Muslims.

Information and Collaboration Preceding the Airstrikes

Nigerian authorities supplied the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a television network. He detailed that he had consulted with his American opposite number, then called the Nigerian president for approval, and subsequently conferred 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 work with other countries, to fight terrorism, to end the death of blameless Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.”

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

Context of Conflict in North-West Nigeria

Forests in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as hideouts by criminal groups and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some analysts say this IS branch originated when herders banded together to fight bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.

Conflicts between pastoralists and mostly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by ethnicity and religion, but their roots lie in competition for resources.

• Clergy and pastors have been increasingly taken hostage, though some experts say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than religious discrimination.
• A Christmas Eve suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a separate insurgency largely unrelated to the violence in the north-west.

Continuing Unrest and Statistics

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

Tuggar stressed that the operation was about “protecting Nigerians and innocent lives,” not one religion. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.”

Wider American Military Policy

This intervention comes amid a wider pattern of American activity overseas during this period. Despite campaigning as a “candidate of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the first year of this term has seen military actions in multiple countries and a significant deployment of forces in another region.

Neither the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any fatalities in the recent airstrikes. When asked if additional actions would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is ongoing.”