The Nigerian Government Reveals It Supplied Key Information for Recent Airstrikes as US Official Warns of Additional Attacks

The Nigerian foreign ministry has confirmed that it played a role in the US airstrikes carried out on Christmas Day, according to the nation's foreign minister on Friday.

Ex-President Donald Trump previously declared the aerial attacks against Islamic State fighters in the northwestern region of Nigeria after spending weeks criticizing the group for targeting Christians.

Extensive Consultations Came Before the Military Action

Nigeria's foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, stated that he had held "extensive" phone conversations with America's top diplomat Marco Rubio both before and after the attack.

He further added that Nigeria's leader, Bola Tinubu, had granted authorization for the military action. Tuggar left the door open for further strikes, describing them as an "continuous effort" that would also involve international partners.

"The strikes had no connection to a particular religion," Tuggar emphasized in an discussion with the BBC. "The objective is to do with targeting militants who have been killing Nigerians."

US Warns of Further Strikes in Nigeria

Hours after the Christmas Day operation, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth cautioned of more strikes against Islamic State targets in the region.

Hegseth characterized the action as part of efforts to stop the killing of Christians, a stance reiterated by the former president. In a social media post, Hegseth wrote, "He was explicit... the killing of Christian civilians in Nigeria must cease. More to come..."

Political Reaction to the Airstrikes

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

"I can’t think of a more fitting manner to observe the holiday than by responding to the killings of Christians," posted one prominent political figure on social media.

Main Takeaways from the Announcement

• Intelligence Sharing: Nigeria actively provided key intelligence for the American operation.
• Presidential Authorization: President Bola Tinubu gave the green light for the military action.
• Continuous Effort: The campaign is viewed as an "ongoing process" with the possibility of more strikes.
• Non-Religious Aim: Nigerian officials strongly insist the strikes are solely about combating militants, not religion.
• US Commitment: A senior US official has signaled further military actions are on the horizon.

The situation highlights the evolving security cooperation between the West African nation and the United States in addressing terrorist threats in the Sahel area.