🔗 Share this article US Warns of More Nigerian Military Actions as Nigeria's Capital Talks of 'Collaborative Continuing Missions'. The American defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has warned of further military actions against ISIS targets in north-western Nigeria. This follows hours after U.S. military forces launched strikes 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 previously: the murder of defenseless Christians in Nigeria must end,” Hegseth wrote on a social platform. “The Pentagon is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Thankful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!” The Nigerian Foreign Minister Describes Actions as Collaborative Effort Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the American military actions were “part of collaborative ongoing operations.” This statement came after Trump had earlier alleged 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. Violence against Christians has drawn attention from religious groups in the United States, who describe it as sectarian targeting. Nigerian authorities have pointed out that armed groups target both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Collaboration Behind the Airstrikes Nigerian authorities supplied the information for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a local broadcaster. He detailed 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 working closely with the Americans,” Tuggar said. “This is what we’ve long desired, to work with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to fight terrorism, to end the killing of blameless Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.” The U.S. military’s Africom confirmed the strikes in Sokoto state had been executed in concert with local officials. Background of Conflict in North-West Nigeria Forests in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as bases by gangs of armed bandits and members of ISSP. Some observers 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 Muslim herders and predominantly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by communal and sectarian factors, but their core causes lie in disputes for resources. Clergy and pastors have been increasingly taken hostage, 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 wounded dozens more, in a separate conflict mostly unrelated to the violence in the north-west. Ongoing Violence and Statistics There have been numerous incidents of violence in Nigeria this year, with about 50% 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 a single faith. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.” Wider American Military Posture This action comes amid a broader pattern of U.S. military engagement overseas during this administration. Despite campaigning as a “champion of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “endless wars,” the initial period of this term has seen military actions in several countries and a major deployment of forces in another region. Neither the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any casualties 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 continuing.”
The American defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has warned of further military actions against ISIS targets in north-western Nigeria. This follows hours after U.S. military forces launched strikes 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 previously: the murder of defenseless Christians in Nigeria must end,” Hegseth wrote on a social platform. “The Pentagon is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Thankful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!” The Nigerian Foreign Minister Describes Actions as Collaborative Effort Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the American military actions were “part of collaborative ongoing operations.” This statement came after Trump had earlier alleged 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. Violence against Christians has drawn attention from religious groups in the United States, who describe it as sectarian targeting. Nigerian authorities have pointed out that armed groups target both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Collaboration Behind the Airstrikes Nigerian authorities supplied the information for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a local broadcaster. He detailed 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 working closely with the Americans,” Tuggar said. “This is what we’ve long desired, to work with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to fight terrorism, to end the killing of blameless Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.” The U.S. military’s Africom confirmed the strikes in Sokoto state had been executed in concert with local officials. Background of Conflict in North-West Nigeria Forests in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as bases by gangs of armed bandits and members of ISSP. Some observers 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 Muslim herders and predominantly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by communal and sectarian factors, but their core causes lie in disputes for resources. Clergy and pastors have been increasingly taken hostage, 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 wounded dozens more, in a separate conflict mostly unrelated to the violence in the north-west. Ongoing Violence and Statistics There have been numerous incidents of violence in Nigeria this year, with about 50% 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 a single faith. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.” Wider American Military Posture This action comes amid a broader pattern of U.S. military engagement overseas during this administration. Despite campaigning as a “champion of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “endless wars,” the initial period of this term has seen military actions in several countries and a major deployment of forces in another region. Neither the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any casualties 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 continuing.”