🔗 Share this article US Warns of More Nigerian Strikes as Nigeria's Capital Talks of 'Collaborative Ongoing Operations'. The U.S. Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has indicated further military actions against IS targets in north-western Nigeria. This comes a short time after U.S. military forces conducted operations against insurgent bases. The ex-president Donald Trump has described these actions as part of a mission to end the killing of Christians. “The president was explicit previously: the murder of innocent Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” Hegseth posted on a social platform. “The Pentagon is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Grateful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!” The Nigerian Top Diplomat Describes Strikes as Joint Effort Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the American military actions were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This comment followed after Trump had previously accused Nigeria’s government of failing to prevent Christians from being killed. Nigeria is constitutionally a non-religious state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has garnered focus from conservative groups in the United States, who describe it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have noted that armed groups target both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Collaboration Behind the Missions Nigeria supplied the intelligence for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a local broadcaster. He explained that he had consulted with his American opposite number, before called the Nigerian president for authorization, and then 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 blameless Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.” The U.S. military’s Africa Command confirmed the strikes in Sokoto state had been carried out in concert with local officials. Background of Conflict in North-West Nigeria Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as bases by criminal groups and members of ISSP. Some analysts say this affiliate originated when pastoralists joined together to combat bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is mostly Muslim. Clashes between pastoralists and mostly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in competition for land and water. Clergy and religious leaders have increasingly been kidnapped for ransom, though some experts 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 numerous 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 most affected 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 aimed at any religion.” Wider American Foreign Posture This action comes amid a wider pattern of American engagement overseas during this administration. Despite campaigning as a “champion of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the initial period of this presidency has seen military actions in multiple countries and a significant military buildup in another region. No official from the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any fatalities in the latest airstrikes. When asked if additional actions would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is ongoing.”
The U.S. Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has indicated further military actions against IS targets in north-western Nigeria. This comes a short time after U.S. military forces conducted operations against insurgent bases. The ex-president Donald Trump has described these actions as part of a mission to end the killing of Christians. “The president was explicit previously: the murder of innocent Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” Hegseth posted on a social platform. “The Pentagon is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Grateful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!” The Nigerian Top Diplomat Describes Strikes as Joint Effort Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the American military actions were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This comment followed after Trump had previously accused Nigeria’s government of failing to prevent Christians from being killed. Nigeria is constitutionally a non-religious state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has garnered focus from conservative groups in the United States, who describe it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have noted that armed groups target both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Collaboration Behind the Missions Nigeria supplied the intelligence for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a local broadcaster. He explained that he had consulted with his American opposite number, before called the Nigerian president for authorization, and then 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 blameless Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.” The U.S. military’s Africa Command confirmed the strikes in Sokoto state had been carried out in concert with local officials. Background of Conflict in North-West Nigeria Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as bases by criminal groups and members of ISSP. Some analysts say this affiliate originated when pastoralists joined together to combat bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is mostly Muslim. Clashes between pastoralists and mostly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in competition for land and water. Clergy and religious leaders have increasingly been kidnapped for ransom, though some experts 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 numerous 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 most affected 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 aimed at any religion.” Wider American Foreign Posture This action comes amid a wider pattern of American engagement overseas during this administration. Despite campaigning as a “champion of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the initial period of this presidency has seen military actions in multiple countries and a significant military buildup in another region. No official from the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any fatalities in the latest airstrikes. When asked if additional actions would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is ongoing.”