US Issues Warning of Additional Nigerian Strikes as Abuja Speaks of 'Joint Ongoing Operations'.

The American defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has warned of further military actions against IS positions in north-western Nigeria. This comes hours after U.S. military forces launched strikes against insurgent bases. The ex-president Donald Trump has described these efforts as part of a mission to end the slaughter of Christians.

“The commander-in-chief was explicit previously: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” Hegseth posted on a social platform. “The Department of Defense is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Thankful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”

Nigeria's Top Diplomat Frames Actions as Joint Operation

Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the American military actions were “part of collaborative ongoing operations.” This statement came after the former U.S. leader had earlier alleged Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to stop Christians from being killed.

Nigeria is constitutionally a secular 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 religious persecution. The government in Abuja have pointed out that armed groups target both Christians and Muslims.

Intelligence and Coordination Behind the Missions

Nigerian authorities supplied the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He detailed that he had consulted with his American opposite number, then called the Nigerian president for authorization, and subsequently conferred with the American official again.

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

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

Context of Conflict in Northwestern Nigeria

Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as hideouts by gangs of armed bandits and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some observers say this affiliate started when herders banded together to fight bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.

Clashes between pastoralists and predominantly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by communal and sectarian factors, but their roots lie in competition for resources.

• Priests and pastors have increasingly been kidnapped for ransom, though some experts say this may be driven more by financial motives than sectarian hatred.
• A Christmas Eve suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria took the lives of at least five people and injured dozens more, in a separate insurgency mostly unrelated to the violence in the north-west.

Ongoing Unrest and Data

There have been thousands of events 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 “safeguarding Nigerians and innocent lives,” not a single faith. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.”

Broader American Military Posture

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

Neither the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any casualties in the latest airstrikes. When asked if additional actions would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is ongoing.”