🔗 Share this article American Signals of Additional Nigeria Strikes as Nigeria's Capital Talks of 'Collaborative Ongoing Operations'. The American Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has indicated new airstrikes against Islamic State positions in northwest Nigeria. This comes a short time after American forces conducted operations against insurgent bases. The former president Donald Trump has framed these actions 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 has to stop,” the defense secretary posted on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is constantly prepared, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Thankful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!” The Nigerian Top Diplomat Frames Actions as Joint Operation Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of collaborative continuing operations.” This comment followed after the former U.S. leader 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 garnered focus from religious groups in the United States, who describe it as religious persecution. The government in Abuja have noted that militants attack both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Collaboration Preceding the Missions Nigerian authorities provided the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a television network. He detailed that he had spoken with his American opposite number, before called the Nigerian president for approval, and then 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 fight terrorism, to end the death of innocent Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.” The U.S. military’s Africom said the operations in Sokoto state had been executed in coordination with Nigerian authorities. Background of Conflict 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 analysts say this IS branch originated when herders joined together to fight bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim. Conflicts between pastoralists and mostly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by communal and sectarian factors, but their roots lie in competition for resources. Priests and religious leaders have increasingly been taken hostage, though some experts say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than sectarian hatred. A Christmas Eve suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and injured dozens more, in a distinct insurgency largely 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 conflict monitoring data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the hardest-hit regions. Tuggar stressed that the mission was about “protecting Nigerians and innocent lives,” not one religion. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.” Broader American Foreign Posture This action comes amid a wider pattern of U.S. military engagement overseas during this administration. Despite running as a “champion of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “endless wars,” the first year of this presidency has seen strikes in several countries and a significant deployment of forces in another region. Neither the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any fatalities in the recent airstrikes. When questioned 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 ongoing.”
The American Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has indicated new airstrikes against Islamic State positions in northwest Nigeria. This comes a short time after American forces conducted operations against insurgent bases. The former president Donald Trump has framed these actions 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 has to stop,” the defense secretary posted on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is constantly prepared, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Thankful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!” The Nigerian Top Diplomat Frames Actions as Joint Operation Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of collaborative continuing operations.” This comment followed after the former U.S. leader 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 garnered focus from religious groups in the United States, who describe it as religious persecution. The government in Abuja have noted that militants attack both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Collaboration Preceding the Missions Nigerian authorities provided the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a television network. He detailed that he had spoken with his American opposite number, before called the Nigerian president for approval, and then 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 fight terrorism, to end the death of innocent Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.” The U.S. military’s Africom said the operations in Sokoto state had been executed in coordination with Nigerian authorities. Background of Conflict 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 analysts say this IS branch originated when herders joined together to fight bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim. Conflicts between pastoralists and mostly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by communal and sectarian factors, but their roots lie in competition for resources. Priests and religious leaders have increasingly been taken hostage, though some experts say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than sectarian hatred. A Christmas Eve suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and injured dozens more, in a distinct insurgency largely 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 conflict monitoring data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the hardest-hit regions. Tuggar stressed that the mission was about “protecting Nigerians and innocent lives,” not one religion. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.” Broader American Foreign Posture This action comes amid a wider pattern of U.S. military engagement overseas during this administration. Despite running as a “champion of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “endless wars,” the first year of this presidency has seen strikes in several countries and a significant deployment of forces in another region. Neither the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any fatalities in the recent airstrikes. When questioned 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 ongoing.”