American Issues Warning of Additional Nigerian Strikes as Nigeria's Capital Talks of 'Collaborative Continuing Operations'.

The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled additional military actions against Islamic State targets in northwest Nigeria. This comes a short time after American forces launched strikes against militant camps. The former president Donald Trump has characterized these efforts as part of a campaign to halt the slaughter of Christians.

“The commander-in-chief was explicit previously: the killing of defenseless Christians in Nigeria must end,” Hegseth wrote 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 Foreign Minister Frames Strikes as Joint Effort

Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the American military actions were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This comment followed after the former U.S. leader had previously accused Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to prevent Christians from being killed.

Nigeria is constitutionally a secular state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Violence 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 attack both Christians and Muslims.

Intelligence and Collaboration Preceding the Airstrikes

Nigerian authorities provided the information for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He detailed that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, then contacted the Nigerian president for approval, and subsequently conferred with the American official again.

“We have been working closely with the Americans,” Tuggar said. “This is what we’ve always been hoping for, to work 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 confirmed the strikes in Sokoto state had been executed in coordination with Nigerian authorities.

Context of Violence in Northwestern Nigeria

Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as bases by gangs of armed bandits and members of ISSP. Some observers say this affiliate started when pastoralists joined together to combat bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.

Conflicts between pastoralists and mostly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in disputes for land and water.

• Clergy and pastors have been increasingly taken hostage, 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 wounded dozens more, in a distinct insurgency largely separate to the violence in the north-west.

Continuing Violence and Data

There have been thousands of events of violence in Nigeria this year, with about half of them affecting civilians, according to conflict monitoring data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the hardest-hit regions.

Tuggar emphasized that the operation was about “safeguarding Nigerians and civilians,” not a single faith. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.”

Broader U.S. Foreign Posture

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

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