Nigeria Discloses It Furnished Intelligence for Recent Military Strikes as US Official Predicts of More Attacks
Nigeria's foreign ministry has confirmed that it played a role in the American military operation carried out on December 25, according to the nation's foreign minister on Friday.
Former President Donald Trump previously declared the aerial attacks targeting ISIS militants in north-west Nigeria after spending weeks criticizing the group for targeting Christians.
Extensive Discussions Preceded the Military Action
Nigeria's foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, indicated that he had held "extensive" discussions with America's top diplomat Marco Rubio immediately prior to and following the attack.
He also noted that Nigeria's leader, Bola Tinubu, had given the "go-ahead" for the airstrikes. Tuggar did not rule out further strikes, characterizing them as an "ongoing process" that would potentially include international partners.
"This operation had nothing to do with a specific faith," Tuggar emphasized in an discussion with the BBC. "It is about targeting militants who have been killing Nigerians."
American Official Predicts of More Actions in Nigeria
Hours after the Christmas Day operation, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth cautioned of additional military actions against ISIS locations in north-western Nigeria.
Hegseth described the strikes as part of a mission to halt the targeting of Christian individuals, a stance reiterated by the former president. In a public statement, Hegseth stated, "The president was explicit... the murder of Christian civilians in Nigeria must end. More to come..."
Supporters' Response to the Military Action
The holiday military operation were met with praise by certain political allies of the ex-leader, who had been calling for a forceful response to the violence against Christians.
"There is no a better way to celebrate Christmas than by responding to the killings of Christians," posted one well-known activist on a digital platform.
Key Points from the Announcement
- Intelligence Sharing: Nigeria supplied key intelligence for the US-led airstrikes.
- High-Level Approval: President Bola Tinubu gave the green light for the military action.
- Ongoing Process: The operation is viewed as an "ongoing process" with the possibility of future actions.
- Secular Objective: Nigerian officials strongly insist the strikes are solely about counter-terrorism, not religion.
- American Stance: A senior US official has signaled additional military actions are on the horizon.
The situation underscores the complex security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States in addressing terrorist threats in the region.
