US Signals of Additional Nigerian Airstrikes as Nigeria's Capital Speaks of 'Collaborative Ongoing Operations'.

The U.S. Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has warned of new airstrikes against IS strongholds in northwest Nigeria. This comes a short time after American forces launched strikes against insurgent bases. The former president Donald Trump has characterized these actions as part of a campaign to stop the slaughter of Christians.

“The commander-in-chief was clear previously: the murder of defenseless Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” Hegseth posted on a social platform. “The Pentagon is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Grateful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”

Nigeria's Top Diplomat Describes Actions as Joint Effort

Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of collaborative ongoing operations.” This statement came after Trump had previously alleged Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to prevent Christians from being killed.

Nigeria is officially 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 frame it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have noted that armed groups attack both Christians and Muslims.

Information and Collaboration Preceding the Missions

Nigerian authorities provided the information for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a television network. He explained that he had consulted with his American opposite number, then contacted the Nigerian president for approval, and subsequently 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 partner with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to combat terrorism, to stop the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.”

The U.S. military’s Africom said the strikes in Sokoto state had been executed in coordination with Nigerian authorities.

Context 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 analysts say this affiliate originated when pastoralists banded together to combat bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.

Conflicts between pastoralists and predominantly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by ethnicity and religion, but their roots lie in competition for land and water.

• 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 December 24th suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria took the lives of at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a separate conflict mostly separate to the violence in the north-west.

Continuing Unrest and Data

There have been thousands of events of violence in Nigeria this year, with about half of them affecting 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 innocent lives,” not a single faith. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.”

Broader U.S. Military Policy

This action occurs amid a wider pattern of American activity overseas during this period. Despite campaigning as a “champion of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “endless wars,” the first year of this term has seen strikes in several countries and a significant deployment of forces in another region.

No official from the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any casualties in the recent airstrikes. When asked if more would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is ongoing.”