Nigeria Confirms It Provided Intelligence for US-Led Airstrikes as Defense Secretary Predicts of Additional Attacks
The Nigerian foreign ministry has announced that it played a role in the American military operation conducted on Christmas Day, according to the country's foreign minister this week.
Ex-President Donald Trump had announced the strikes against Islamic State militants in the northwestern region of Nigeria after a period of decrying the organization for targeting Christians.
Extensive Discussions Came Before the Military Action
Nigeria's foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, indicated that he had held "lengthy" discussions with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio immediately prior to and following the attack.
He further added that Nigeria's president, Bola Tinubu, had approved for the airstrikes. Tuggar did not rule out further strikes, characterizing them as an "continuous effort" that would potentially include other countries.
"This operation had no connection to a specific faith," Tuggar emphasized in an discussion with the BBC. "It is to do with targeting militants who have been murdering Nigerian citizens."
US Warns of Further Actions in Nigeria
Hours after the initial strikes, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth cautioned of more strikes against ISIS locations in north-western Nigeria.
Hegseth characterized the action as part of efforts to halt the targeting of Christian individuals, a position reiterated by the former president. In a social media post, Hegseth wrote, "He was explicit... the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria must cease. More to come..."
Supporters' Response to the Airstrikes
The Christmas Day strikes were hailed by certain political allies of the ex-leader, who had been agitating for a strong military reaction to the violence against Christians.
"There is no a better way to celebrate Christmas than by avenging the death of Christians," posted one well-known activist on social media.
Main Takeaways from the Revelations
- Cooperation: Nigeria supplied key intelligence for the US-led operation.
- Presidential Authorization: President Bola Tinubu gave the green light for the military action.
- Continuous Effort: The campaign is viewed as an "continuing mission" with potential for more strikes.
- Secular Objective: Nigerian officials maintain the targeting are focused on combating militants, not religion.
- US Commitment: A senior US official has indicated further military actions are likely.
This development highlights the evolving security cooperation between Nigeria and the US in addressing terrorist threats in the Sahel area.
