US Signals of Further Nigerian Airstrikes as Nigeria's Capital Talks of 'Joint Continuing Operations'.

The U.S. Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has indicated additional strikes against IS targets in northwest Nigeria. This follows hours after U.S. military forces took action against militant camps. The former president Donald Trump has framed these efforts as part of a campaign to stop the slaughter of Christians.

“The commander-in-chief was explicit last month: the killing of defenseless Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” Hegseth wrote on a social media platform. “The Pentagon is always ready, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Thankful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”

The Nigerian Foreign Minister Describes Actions as Collaborative Operation

Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the American military actions were “part of joint continuing operations.” This statement came after Trump 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. Violence against Christians has drawn attention from religious groups in the United States, who describe it as sectarian targeting. Nigerian authorities have noted that armed groups target both Christians and Muslims.

Information and Coordination Behind the Missions

Nigerian authorities provided the information for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He detailed that he had consulted with his American opposite number, then contacted the Nigerian president for approval, and then spoke with the American official again.

“We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar said. “This is what we’ve long desired, to partner with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to fight terrorism, to end the death of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.”

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

Background of Conflict in Northwestern 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 started when herders joined together to fight bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is mostly Muslim.

Conflicts between Muslim herders and mostly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by communal and sectarian factors, but their core causes lie in competition 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 December 24th attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and injured dozens more, in a separate insurgency largely unrelated to the violence in the north-west.

Continuing Unrest and Statistics

There have been numerous incidents of violence in Nigeria this year, with about 50% of them affecting civilians, according to research data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the hardest-hit regions.

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

Wider U.S. Military Policy

This action comes amid a broader pattern of U.S. military activity overseas during this administration. Despite running as a “champion of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “endless wars,” the initial period of this term has seen strikes in multiple countries and a significant deployment of forces in another region.

No official from the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any fatalities in the latest 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 ongoing.”