American Warns of More Nigeria Strikes as Nigeria's Capital Talks of 'Joint Continuing Operations'.

The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has indicated new airstrikes against IS positions in northwest Nigeria. This comes hours after U.S. military forces took action against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has described these efforts as part of a mission to stop the slaughter of Christians.

“The commander-in-chief was explicit last month: the murder of defenseless Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” the defense secretary wrote on a social platform. “The Pentagon is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Thankful for Nigerian government backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!”

Nigeria's Foreign Minister Frames Strikes as Joint Operation

Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the American military actions were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This statement followed after the former U.S. leader had previously accused Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to prevent Christians from being killed.

Nigeria is constitutionally a non-religious state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has garnered focus from religious groups in the United States, who describe it as religious persecution. Nigerian authorities have noted that militants attack both Christians and Muslims.

Information and Collaboration Behind the Airstrikes

Nigeria supplied the information for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a local broadcaster. He detailed that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, before contacted the Nigerian president for authorization, and then conferred with the American official again.

“We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar stated. “This is what we’ve always been hoping for, to partner with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to fight terrorism, to end the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.”

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

Background of Violence in North-West Nigeria

Forests in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as hideouts 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 lack of state support. The region is mostly Muslim.

Clashes between Muslim herders and predominantly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in disputes for land and water.

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

Ongoing Violence and Statistics

There have been thousands of 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 operation was about “protecting Nigerians and innocent lives,” not a single faith. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.”

Broader U.S. Foreign Posture

This action comes amid a broader pattern of U.S. military engagement overseas during this period. Despite campaigning as a “champion of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “endless wars,” the first year of this term has seen military actions in several countries and a significant military buildup in another region.

Neither the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any casualties in the latest airstrikes. When asked if more would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is ongoing.”