🔗 Share this article US Issues Warning of Further Nigeria Airstrikes as Nigeria's Capital Speaks of 'Collaborative Continuing Missions'. The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled further airstrikes against ISIS strongholds in north-western Nigeria. This follows hours after American forces took action against insurgent bases. The former president Donald Trump has described these efforts as part of a campaign to halt the killing of Christians. “The president was clear previously: the murder of innocent Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” Hegseth posted on a social platform. “The Pentagon is constantly prepared, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Thankful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!” Nigeria's Top Diplomat Describes Strikes as Collaborative Effort Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of collaborative continuing operations.” This statement followed after Trump had previously alleged Nigeria’s government of failing to prevent 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 conservative groups in the United States, who frame it as religious persecution. The government in Abuja have noted that armed groups attack both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Coordination Preceding the Airstrikes Nigerian authorities provided the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a local broadcaster. He explained that he had consulted with his U.S. counterpart, then contacted the Nigerian president for approval, and then spoke with the American official again. “We have been working closely with the Americans,” Tuggar stated. “This is what we’ve always been hoping for, to partner with the Americans, to work with other countries, to combat terrorism, to end the killing of blameless Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.” The U.S. military’s Africa Command said the strikes in Sokoto state had been executed in concert with Nigerian authorities. Background of Conflict in Northwestern Nigeria Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as hideouts by criminal groups and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some observers say this affiliate started when pastoralists joined together to fight bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is mostly Muslim. Clashes between Muslim herders and predominantly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by communal and sectarian factors, but their core causes lie in disputes for land and water. Clergy and pastors have been increasingly kidnapped for ransom, 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 injured dozens more, in a separate insurgency largely 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 targeting civilians, according to research data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the hardest-hit regions. Tuggar stressed that the mission was about “safeguarding Nigerians and civilians,” not a single faith. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.” Broader U.S. Foreign Policy This action occurs amid a wider pattern of U.S. military engagement overseas during this period. Despite running as a “champion of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the initial period of this presidency has seen military actions in multiple countries and a major deployment of forces in another region. Neither the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any fatalities in the recent airstrikes. When asked if more would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is ongoing.”
The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled further airstrikes against ISIS strongholds in north-western Nigeria. This follows hours after American forces took action against insurgent bases. The former president Donald Trump has described these efforts as part of a campaign to halt the killing of Christians. “The president was clear previously: the murder of innocent Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” Hegseth posted on a social platform. “The Pentagon is constantly prepared, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Thankful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!” Nigeria's Top Diplomat Describes Strikes as Collaborative Effort Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of collaborative continuing operations.” This statement followed after Trump had previously alleged Nigeria’s government of failing to prevent 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 conservative groups in the United States, who frame it as religious persecution. The government in Abuja have noted that armed groups attack both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Coordination Preceding the Airstrikes Nigerian authorities provided the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a local broadcaster. He explained that he had consulted with his U.S. counterpart, then contacted the Nigerian president for approval, and then spoke with the American official again. “We have been working closely with the Americans,” Tuggar stated. “This is what we’ve always been hoping for, to partner with the Americans, to work with other countries, to combat terrorism, to end the killing of blameless Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.” The U.S. military’s Africa Command said the strikes in Sokoto state had been executed in concert with Nigerian authorities. Background of Conflict in Northwestern Nigeria Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as hideouts by criminal groups and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some observers say this affiliate started when pastoralists joined together to fight bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is mostly Muslim. Clashes between Muslim herders and predominantly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by communal and sectarian factors, but their core causes lie in disputes for land and water. Clergy and pastors have been increasingly kidnapped for ransom, 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 injured dozens more, in a separate insurgency largely 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 targeting civilians, according to research data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the hardest-hit regions. Tuggar stressed that the mission was about “safeguarding Nigerians and civilians,” not a single faith. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.” Broader U.S. Foreign Policy This action occurs amid a wider pattern of U.S. military engagement overseas during this period. Despite running as a “champion of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the initial period of this presidency has seen military actions in multiple countries and a major deployment of forces in another region. Neither the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any fatalities in the recent airstrikes. When asked if more would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is ongoing.”