🔗 Share this article US Warns of Further Nigerian Airstrikes as Nigeria's Capital Talks of 'Joint Continuing Operations'. The American defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has warned of further military actions against ISIS strongholds in north-western Nigeria. This comes a short time after U.S. military forces took action against militant camps. The former president Donald Trump has described these actions as part of a campaign to end the killing of Christians. “The president was clear last month: the murder of innocent Christians in Nigeria must end,” the defense secretary wrote on a social media platform. “The Pentagon is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Grateful for Nigerian government backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!” The Nigerian Foreign Minister Describes Actions as Collaborative Effort Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This comment followed after Trump had earlier alleged Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to prevent Christians from being killed. Nigeria is officially a secular state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has garnered focus from religious groups in the United States, who frame it as sectarian targeting. Nigerian authorities have pointed out that armed groups target both Christians and Muslims. Information and Coordination Preceding the Airstrikes Nigeria provided the information for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He explained that he had consulted with his U.S. counterpart, before called the Nigerian president for approval, and then conferred with the American official again. “We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar stated. “This is what we’ve long desired, to partner with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to fight terrorism, to stop the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.” The U.S. military’s Africom said the strikes in Sokoto state had been executed in coordination with Nigerian authorities. Context of Conflict in North-West Nigeria Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as hideouts by gangs of armed bandits and members of ISSP. Some analysts say this affiliate started 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 roots lie in disputes for resources. Priests and religious leaders have been increasingly taken hostage, though some experts 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 distinct conflict largely separate to the violence in the north-west. Ongoing Violence and Data There have been thousands of incidents 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 most affected regions. Tuggar emphasized that the mission was about “safeguarding Nigerians and civilians,” not a single faith. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.” Wider American Military Posture This action comes amid a broader pattern of American engagement overseas during this period. Despite running as a “candidate of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the initial period of this term has seen strikes in several countries and a major military buildup in another region. Neither the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any casualties in the latest airstrikes. When asked if more would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”
The American defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has warned of further military actions against ISIS strongholds in north-western Nigeria. This comes a short time after U.S. military forces took action against militant camps. The former president Donald Trump has described these actions as part of a campaign to end the killing of Christians. “The president was clear last month: the murder of innocent Christians in Nigeria must end,” the defense secretary wrote on a social media platform. “The Pentagon is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Grateful for Nigerian government backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!” The Nigerian Foreign Minister Describes Actions as Collaborative Effort Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This comment followed after Trump had earlier alleged Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to prevent Christians from being killed. Nigeria is officially a secular state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has garnered focus from religious groups in the United States, who frame it as sectarian targeting. Nigerian authorities have pointed out that armed groups target both Christians and Muslims. Information and Coordination Preceding the Airstrikes Nigeria provided the information for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He explained that he had consulted with his U.S. counterpart, before called the Nigerian president for approval, and then conferred with the American official again. “We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar stated. “This is what we’ve long desired, to partner with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to fight terrorism, to stop the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.” The U.S. military’s Africom said the strikes in Sokoto state had been executed in coordination with Nigerian authorities. Context of Conflict in North-West Nigeria Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as hideouts by gangs of armed bandits and members of ISSP. Some analysts say this affiliate started 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 roots lie in disputes for resources. Priests and religious leaders have been increasingly taken hostage, though some experts 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 distinct conflict largely separate to the violence in the north-west. Ongoing Violence and Data There have been thousands of incidents 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 most affected regions. Tuggar emphasized that the mission was about “safeguarding Nigerians and civilians,” not a single faith. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.” Wider American Military Posture This action comes amid a broader pattern of American engagement overseas during this period. Despite running as a “candidate of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the initial period of this term has seen strikes in several countries and a major military buildup in another region. Neither the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any casualties in the latest airstrikes. When asked if more would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”