🔗 Share this article US Signals of Further Nigerian Airstrikes as Abuja Speaks of 'Collaborative Continuing Operations'. The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled additional airstrikes against IS targets in north-western Nigeria. This comes hours after U.S. military forces launched strikes against militant camps. The former president Donald Trump has described these efforts as part of a mission to halt the slaughter of Christians. “The president was explicit previously: the killing of innocent 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 … Grateful for Abuja's backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!” Nigeria's Foreign Minister Frames Actions as Collaborative Operation Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint continuing operations.” This comment followed after the former U.S. leader had earlier accused Nigeria’s government of failing to prevent Christians from being killed. Nigeria is officially a secular 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 sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have noted that militants attack both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Coordination Preceding the Airstrikes Nigerian authorities supplied the intelligence for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He detailed that he had consulted with his American opposite number, before called the Nigerian president for approval, and subsequently conferred with the American official again. “We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar said. “This is what we’ve long desired, to partner with the Americans, to work with other countries, to combat terrorism, to end the death of blameless Nigerians … It’s a collaborative 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 is adjacent to Niger, have been used as hideouts by gangs of armed bandits and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. 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 predominantly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in disputes for land and water. Priests and pastors have increasingly been kidnapped for ransom, though some specialists say this may be driven more by financial motives than religious discrimination. A December 24th attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria took the lives of at least five people and injured dozens more, in a separate conflict mostly separate to the violence in the north-west. Continuing Violence and Data There have been numerous 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 hardest-hit regions. Tuggar emphasized that the mission was about “safeguarding Nigerians and innocent lives,” not one religion. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.” Wider U.S. Military Posture This action occurs amid a wider pattern of American engagement overseas during this administration. Despite running as a “candidate 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 significant deployment of forces in another region. No official from the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any fatalities in the latest airstrikes. When questioned 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.”
The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled additional airstrikes against IS targets in north-western Nigeria. This comes hours after U.S. military forces launched strikes against militant camps. The former president Donald Trump has described these efforts as part of a mission to halt the slaughter of Christians. “The president was explicit previously: the killing of innocent 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 … Grateful for Abuja's backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!” Nigeria's Foreign Minister Frames Actions as Collaborative Operation Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint continuing operations.” This comment followed after the former U.S. leader had earlier accused Nigeria’s government of failing to prevent Christians from being killed. Nigeria is officially a secular 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 sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have noted that militants attack both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Coordination Preceding the Airstrikes Nigerian authorities supplied the intelligence for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He detailed that he had consulted with his American opposite number, before called the Nigerian president for approval, and subsequently conferred with the American official again. “We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar said. “This is what we’ve long desired, to partner with the Americans, to work with other countries, to combat terrorism, to end the death of blameless Nigerians … It’s a collaborative 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 is adjacent to Niger, have been used as hideouts by gangs of armed bandits and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. 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 predominantly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in disputes for land and water. Priests and pastors have increasingly been kidnapped for ransom, though some specialists say this may be driven more by financial motives than religious discrimination. A December 24th attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria took the lives of at least five people and injured dozens more, in a separate conflict mostly separate to the violence in the north-west. Continuing Violence and Data There have been numerous 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 hardest-hit regions. Tuggar emphasized that the mission was about “safeguarding Nigerians and innocent lives,” not one religion. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.” Wider U.S. Military Posture This action occurs amid a wider pattern of American engagement overseas during this administration. Despite running as a “candidate 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 significant deployment of forces in another region. No official from the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any fatalities in the latest airstrikes. When questioned 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.”