American Signals of More Nigeria Airstrikes as Nigeria's Capital Talks of 'Collaborative Continuing Operations'.

The American Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has indicated further airstrikes against Islamic State positions in north-western Nigeria. This follows hours after U.S. military forces launched strikes against insurgent bases. The ex-president Donald Trump has described these actions as part of a campaign to halt the killing of Christians.

“The commander-in-chief was explicit previously: the murder of defenseless Christians in Nigeria must end,” the defense secretary stated on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is always ready, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”

Nigeria's Top Diplomat Frames Actions as Joint Effort

Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the American military actions were “part of collaborative continuing operations.” This comment followed after the former U.S. leader had previously alleged Nigeria’s government of failing to prevent Christians from being killed.

Nigeria is officially 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 pointed out that armed groups target both Christians and Muslims.

Information and Collaboration Behind the Airstrikes

Nigeria provided the information for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a television network. He explained that he had spoken with his American opposite number, before called the Nigerian president for approval, and then spoke 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 work with the Americans, to work with other countries, to combat terrorism, to end the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.”

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

Background of Conflict in Northwestern Nigeria

Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as bases by gangs of armed bandits and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some observers say this IS branch originated 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 exacerbated by ethnicity and religion, but their roots lie in disputes for resources.

• Clergy and religious leaders have been increasingly kidnapped for ransom, though some specialists say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than religious discrimination.
• A Christmas Eve attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria took the lives of at least five people and injured dozens more, in a separate insurgency largely unrelated to the violence in the north-west.

Ongoing Unrest and Statistics

There have been thousands of incidents of violence in Nigeria this year, with about half of them targeting 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 “protecting Nigerians and civilians,” not one religion. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.”

Broader American Military Policy

This intervention occurs amid a wider pattern of U.S. military activity overseas during this administration. Despite running as a “champion of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “endless wars,” the first year of this presidency has seen military actions in several countries and a significant military buildup in another region.

Neither the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any casualties in the recent airstrikes. When asked if additional actions would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”