🔗 Share this article US Warns of Additional Nigeria Strikes as Nigeria's Capital Talks of 'Collaborative Continuing Missions'. The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled new strikes against Islamic State positions in north-western Nigeria. This comes a short time after U.S. military forces took action against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has characterized these efforts as part of a mission to stop the slaughter of Christians. “The commander-in-chief was explicit last month: the murder of innocent Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” the defense secretary wrote on a social platform. “The Pentagon is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Thankful for Abuja's backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!” Nigeria's Top Diplomat Describes Strikes as Joint Effort Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the American military actions were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This comment came after the former U.S. leader had previously 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 religious groups in the United States, who frame it as religious persecution. Nigerian authorities have pointed out that armed groups attack both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Coordination Preceding the Missions Nigeria supplied the information for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He detailed that he had consulted with his American opposite number, before 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 long desired, to work with the Americans, to work with other countries, to fight terrorism, to end the killing of blameless Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.” The U.S. military’s Africa Command said the operations in Sokoto state had been executed in coordination with Nigerian authorities. Background of Violence in Northwestern Nigeria Forests in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as bases by gangs of armed bandits and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some observers say this affiliate originated when pastoralists joined together to combat bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim. Conflicts between Muslim herders and mostly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in competition for resources. Priests and religious leaders have increasingly been 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 wounded dozens more, in a separate conflict mostly separate to the violence in the north-west. Ongoing Unrest and Data There have been thousands of 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 mission was about “safeguarding Nigerians and innocent lives,” not a single faith. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.” Wider U.S. Military Posture This intervention comes amid a broader pattern of U.S. military activity overseas during this administration. Despite campaigning as a “candidate of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “endless wars,” the first year of this term has seen strikes in multiple 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 additional actions would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”
The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled new strikes against Islamic State positions in north-western Nigeria. This comes a short time after U.S. military forces took action against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has characterized these efforts as part of a mission to stop the slaughter of Christians. “The commander-in-chief was explicit last month: the murder of innocent Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” the defense secretary wrote on a social platform. “The Pentagon is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Thankful for Abuja's backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!” Nigeria's Top Diplomat Describes Strikes as Joint Effort Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the American military actions were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This comment came after the former U.S. leader had previously 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 religious groups in the United States, who frame it as religious persecution. Nigerian authorities have pointed out that armed groups attack both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Coordination Preceding the Missions Nigeria supplied the information for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He detailed that he had consulted with his American opposite number, before 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 long desired, to work with the Americans, to work with other countries, to fight terrorism, to end the killing of blameless Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.” The U.S. military’s Africa Command said the operations in Sokoto state had been executed in coordination with Nigerian authorities. Background of Violence in Northwestern Nigeria Forests in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as bases by gangs of armed bandits and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some observers say this affiliate originated when pastoralists joined together to combat bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim. Conflicts between Muslim herders and mostly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in competition for resources. Priests and religious leaders have increasingly been 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 wounded dozens more, in a separate conflict mostly separate to the violence in the north-west. Ongoing Unrest and Data There have been thousands of 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 mission was about “safeguarding Nigerians and innocent lives,” not a single faith. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.” Wider U.S. Military Posture This intervention comes amid a broader pattern of U.S. military activity overseas during this administration. Despite campaigning as a “candidate of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “endless wars,” the first year of this term has seen strikes in multiple 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 additional actions would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”