The Nigerian Government Confirms It Furnished Intelligence for Christmas Day Airstrikes as Defense Secretary Predicts of Additional Operations
Nigeria's government has announced that it played a role in the US airstrikes carried out on Christmas Day, as stated by the nation's foreign minister on Friday.
Ex-President Donald Trump had announced the aerial attacks targeting ISIS militants in north-west Nigeria after spending weeks decrying the organization for targeting Christians.
Extensive Consultations Preceded the Military Action
Nigeria's top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, indicated that he had held "lengthy" phone conversations with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio immediately before and after the airstrike.
He further added that Nigeria's president, Bola Tinubu, had granted authorization for the airstrikes. Tuggar did not rule out further strikes, characterizing them as an "ongoing process" that would potentially include international partners.
"The strikes had no connection to a particular religion," Tuggar emphasized in an interview with the BBC. "The objective is to do with targeting militants who have been murdering Nigerian citizens."
US Warns of Further Actions in Nigeria
Shortly following the initial strikes, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth cautioned of additional military actions against ISIS locations in the region.
Hegseth characterized the action as part of efforts to halt the targeting of Christian individuals, a position echoed by the former president. In a social media post, Hegseth stated, "The president was explicit... the killing 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 former president, who had been calling for a forceful response to the violence against Christians.
"There is no a more fitting manner to celebrate Christmas than by responding to the killings of Christians," commented one prominent activist on a digital platform.
Main Takeaways from the Revelations
- Intelligence Sharing: Nigeria supplied key intelligence for the American operation.
- Presidential Authorization: President Bola Tinubu personally authorized the strikes.
- Ongoing Process: The operation is described as an "ongoing process" with potential for future actions.
- Secular Objective: Nigerian officials strongly insist the strikes are solely about counter-terrorism, not religion.
- American Stance: A senior US defense leader has signaled additional strikes are likely.
This development underscores the evolving security cooperation between Nigeria and the US in combating terrorist threats in the region.
