US Signals of Additional Nigeria Strikes as Nigeria's Capital Speaks of 'Joint Continuing Missions'.

The U.S. Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has indicated new airstrikes against IS positions in northwest Nigeria. This follows a short time after American forces launched strikes against insurgent bases. The ex-president Donald Trump has framed these actions as part of a campaign to halt the slaughter of Christians.

“The commander-in-chief was clear previously: the killing of defenseless Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” the defense secretary stated on a social platform. “The Pentagon is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Thankful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”

Nigeria's Top Diplomat Describes Strikes as Joint Operation

Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of collaborative continuing operations.” This comment came after the former U.S. leader had previously accused Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to stop Christians from being killed.

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

Information and Collaboration Behind the Airstrikes

Nigerian authorities provided the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a local broadcaster. He detailed that he had consulted with his American opposite number, then contacted 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 stop the killing of blameless Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.”

The U.S. military’s Africa Command confirmed the operations in Sokoto state had been carried out in coordination with local officials.

Context of Conflict in Northwestern Nigeria

Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as hideouts by criminal groups 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.

Clashes between pastoralists and mostly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in disputes for resources.

• Priests and religious leaders have increasingly been taken hostage, though some specialists say this may be driven more by financial motives than religious discrimination.
• A December 24th suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a separate conflict largely unrelated to the violence in the north-west.

Continuing Violence and Statistics

There have been thousands of incidents 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 stressed that the operation was about “protecting Nigerians and innocent lives,” not one religion. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.”

Broader American Foreign Posture

This intervention occurs amid a broader pattern of U.S. military activity overseas during this period. Despite running as a “candidate of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the initial period of this term has seen strikes in multiple countries and a significant military buildup in another region.

Neither the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have revealed 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 long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is ongoing.”