Nigeria Discloses It Provided Key Information for Recent Airstrikes as Defense Secretary Predicts of More Operations

Nigeria's foreign ministry has stated that it played a role in the American military operation conducted on Christmas Day, as stated by the country's foreign minister on Friday.

Former President Donald Trump previously declared the aerial attacks against Islamic State militants in the northwestern region of Nigeria after spending weeks criticizing the organization for targeting Christians.

Detailed Consultations Came Before the Military Action

Nigeria's top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, explained that he had held "lengthy" discussions with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio both prior to and following the attack.

He further added that Nigeria's president, Bola Tinubu, had granted authorization for the military action. Tuggar did not rule out further strikes, characterizing them as an "ongoing process" that would also involve other countries.

"This operation had nothing to do with a specific faith," Tuggar insisted in an discussion with the BBC. "The objective is to do with targeting militants who have been killing Nigerians."

US Warns of Further Actions in Nigeria

Shortly following the initial strikes, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth cautioned of more strikes 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 ex-commander in chief. In a social media post, Hegseth stated, "The president was explicit... the killing of Christian civilians in Nigeria must cease. More to come..."

Political Reaction to the Military Action

The holiday military operation were hailed by certain supporters of the former president, 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 avenging the death of Christians," posted one prominent activist on social media.

Main Takeaways from the Revelations

• Intelligence Sharing: Nigeria actively provided key intelligence for the US-led airstrikes.
• Presidential Authorization: President Bola Tinubu personally authorized the strikes.
• Continuous Effort: The campaign is viewed as an "ongoing process" with potential for more strikes.
• Non-Religious Aim: Nigerian officials maintain the strikes are solely about combating militants, not religion.
• US Commitment: A top American official has signaled further military actions are on the horizon.

The situation underscores the evolving security cooperation between the West African nation and the United States in combating militant groups in the Sahel area.