🔗 Share this article Nigeria Confirms It Supplied Intelligence for Christmas Day Airstrikes as Defense Secretary Predicts of Additional Operations Nigeria's government has announced that it played a role in the American military operation carried out on December 25, as stated by the country's foreign minister on Friday. Ex-President Donald Trump previously declared the strikes against ISIS fighters in north-west Nigeria after spending weeks decrying the group for targeting Christians. Detailed Discussions Preceded the Operation Nigeria's top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, explained that he had engaged in "extensive" phone conversations with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio immediately prior to and following the attack. He also noted that Nigeria's leader, Bola Tinubu, had given the "go-ahead" for the military action. Tuggar did not rule out further strikes, describing them as an "ongoing process" that would potentially include other countries. "This operation had nothing to do with a specific faith," Tuggar emphasized in an discussion with the BBC. "The objective is to do with targeting militants who have been killing Nigerians." US Warns of More Strikes in Nigeria Shortly following the Christmas Day operation, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth warned of additional military actions against ISIS locations in north-western Nigeria. Hegseth described the strikes as part of a mission to halt the targeting of Christian individuals, a stance reiterated by the ex-commander in chief. In a social media post, Hegseth wrote, "He was explicit... the murder of Christian civilians in Nigeria must end. More to come..." Political Reaction to the Airstrikes The holiday military operation were hailed by certain supporters of the ex-leader, who had been agitating for a forceful response to the violence against Christians. "There is no a better way to observe the holiday than by responding to the killings of Christians," commented one well-known political figure on a digital platform. Main Takeaways from the Announcement Intelligence Sharing: Nigeria supplied crucial information for the American airstrikes. Presidential Authorization: President Bola Tinubu gave the green light for the strikes. Continuous Effort: The campaign is viewed as an "ongoing process" with potential for future actions. Non-Religious Aim: Nigerian officials strongly insist the targeting are solely about counter-terrorism, not religion. US Commitment: A top American defense leader has signaled further strikes are likely. The situation underscores the complex security cooperation between Nigeria and the US in combating militant groups in the region.
Nigeria's government has announced that it played a role in the American military operation carried out on December 25, as stated by the country's foreign minister on Friday. Ex-President Donald Trump previously declared the strikes against ISIS fighters in north-west Nigeria after spending weeks decrying the group for targeting Christians. Detailed Discussions Preceded the Operation Nigeria's top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, explained that he had engaged in "extensive" phone conversations with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio immediately prior to and following the attack. He also noted that Nigeria's leader, Bola Tinubu, had given the "go-ahead" for the military action. Tuggar did not rule out further strikes, describing them as an "ongoing process" that would potentially include other countries. "This operation had nothing to do with a specific faith," Tuggar emphasized in an discussion with the BBC. "The objective is to do with targeting militants who have been killing Nigerians." US Warns of More Strikes in Nigeria Shortly following the Christmas Day operation, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth warned of additional military actions against ISIS locations in north-western Nigeria. Hegseth described the strikes as part of a mission to halt the targeting of Christian individuals, a stance reiterated by the ex-commander in chief. In a social media post, Hegseth wrote, "He was explicit... the murder of Christian civilians in Nigeria must end. More to come..." Political Reaction to the Airstrikes The holiday military operation were hailed by certain supporters of the ex-leader, who had been agitating for a forceful response to the violence against Christians. "There is no a better way to observe the holiday than by responding to the killings of Christians," commented one well-known political figure on a digital platform. Main Takeaways from the Announcement Intelligence Sharing: Nigeria supplied crucial information for the American airstrikes. Presidential Authorization: President Bola Tinubu gave the green light for the strikes. Continuous Effort: The campaign is viewed as an "ongoing process" with potential for future actions. Non-Religious Aim: Nigerian officials strongly insist the targeting are solely about counter-terrorism, not religion. US Commitment: A top American defense leader has signaled further strikes are likely. The situation underscores the complex security cooperation between Nigeria and the US in combating militant groups in the region.