US Signals of Additional Nigeria Strikes as Abuja Speaks of 'Joint Ongoing Missions'.
The U.S. Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has signaled additional strikes against ISIS targets in northwest Nigeria. This follows a short time after American forces launched strikes against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has characterized these efforts as part of a campaign to stop the killing of Christians.
“The president was clear previously: the killing of defenseless Christians in Nigeria must end,” the defense secretary stated on a social platform. “The Pentagon is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Grateful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”
Nigeria's Foreign Minister Describes Actions as Joint Effort
Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This comment 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 almost evenly split between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has drawn attention from conservative groups in the United States, who describe it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have noted that militants attack both Christians and Muslims.
Intelligence and Collaboration Preceding the Airstrikes
Nigeria provided the information for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a local broadcaster. He detailed that he had consulted with his U.S. counterpart, before contacted the Nigerian president for approval, and subsequently conferred with the American official again.
“We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar stated. “This is what we’ve long desired, to work with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to fight terrorism, to stop the death of innocent Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.”
The U.S. military’s Africa Command said the operations in Sokoto state had been executed in concert with local officials.
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 IS branch started when pastoralists joined together to fight bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is mostly Muslim.
Conflicts between pastoralists and mostly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by communal and sectarian factors, but their core causes lie in competition for land and water.
- Priests and pastors have increasingly been kidnapped for ransom, though some experts say this may be driven more by financial motives than religious discrimination.
- 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.
Ongoing Unrest 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 “safeguarding Nigerians and civilians,” not one religion. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.”
Wider U.S. Military Posture
This intervention comes amid a broader pattern of American engagement overseas during this period. Despite running as a “candidate 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 major military buildup in another region.
No official from the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any casualties in the latest airstrikes. When asked if more would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a new phase of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is ongoing.”
