Nigeria Discloses It Provided Key Information for Recent Military Strikes as US Official Predicts of More Operations

Nigeria's foreign ministry has confirmed that it played a role in the US airstrikes conducted on December 25, as stated by the country's foreign minister this week.

Ex-President Donald Trump previously declared the strikes against ISIS fighters in the northwestern region of Nigeria after a period of criticizing the organization for targeting Christian communities.

Extensive Discussions Came Before the Military Action

Nigeria's top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, indicated that he had engaged in "lengthy" phone conversations with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio immediately prior to and following the airstrike.

He further added that Nigeria's president, Bola Tinubu, had granted authorization for the military action. Tuggar did not rule out additional operations, describing them as an "continuous effort" that would also involve other countries.

"The strikes had nothing to do with a particular religion," Tuggar insisted in an interview with the BBC. "The objective is to do with targeting militants who have been killing Nigerians."

US Warns of Further Strikes in Nigeria

Shortly following the initial strikes, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth cautioned of more strikes against Islamic State targets in the region.

Hegseth characterized the action as part of a mission to stop the killing of Christians, a position reiterated by the ex-commander in chief. In a public statement, Hegseth wrote, "The president was clear... the murder of innocent Christians in Nigeria must cease. More to come..."

Political Reaction to the Airstrikes

The Christmas Day strikes were met with praise by some political allies of the ex-leader, who had been agitating for a strong military reaction to the attacks against Christians.

"I can’t think of a more fitting manner to celebrate Christmas than by responding to the killings of Christians," commented one prominent political figure on a digital platform.

Main Takeaways from the Revelations

• Intelligence Sharing: Nigeria supplied key intelligence for the American operation.
• Presidential Authorization: President Bola Tinubu gave the green light for the military action.
• Continuous Effort: The operation is viewed as an "ongoing process" with potential for more strikes.
• Secular Objective: Nigerian officials strongly insist the targeting are solely about combating militants, not religion.
• US Commitment: A senior US defense leader has signaled further military actions are likely.

This development underscores the complex security cooperation between the West African nation and the US in addressing militant groups in the Sahel area.