Nigeria Reveals It Supplied Key Information for Recent Military Strikes as US Official Predicts of More Operations

The Nigerian 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 on Friday.

Ex-President Donald Trump previously declared the aerial attacks against Islamic State fighters in north-west Nigeria after a period of decrying the organization for attacking Christians.

Detailed Consultations Preceded the Military Action

Nigeria's foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, explained that he had held "extensive" phone conversations with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio both before and after the airstrike.

He further added that Nigeria's president, Bola Tinubu, had approved for the airstrikes. Tuggar left the door open for further strikes, characterizing them as an "continuous effort" that would also involve other countries.

"This operation had nothing to do with a particular religion," Tuggar insisted in an discussion with the BBC. "The objective is to do with targeting militants who have been murdering Nigerian citizens."

US Warns of More Strikes in Nigeria

Hours after the Christmas Day operation, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth warned of more strikes against ISIS locations in the region.

Hegseth characterized the action as part of efforts to stop the killing of Christians, a stance reiterated by the ex-commander in chief. In a public statement, Hegseth stated, "He was explicit... 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 certain political allies of the former president, who had been calling for a strong military reaction to the violence against Christians.

"There is no a more fitting manner to observe the holiday than by avenging the death 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.
• High-Level Approval: President Bola Tinubu personally authorized the strikes.
• Continuous Effort: The operation is described as an "continuing mission" with the possibility of more strikes.
• Secular Objective: Nigerian officials maintain the targeting are focused on combating militants, not religion.
• US Commitment: A senior US defense leader has signaled additional military actions are on the horizon.

The situation underscores the evolving military partnership between the West African nation and the US in combating terrorist threats in the Sahel area.