The US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, has warned of more strikes on Islamic State targets in north-west Nigeria. This came shortly after US forces attacked militant camps in Sokoto state. President Donald Trump said the strikes aimed to stop the killing of Christians. Hegseth wrote on X: “The president was clear last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria (and elsewhere) must end. The [Pentagon] is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!” Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, confirmed the strikes were “part of joint ongoing operations.” He said Nigeria gave the intelligence to conduct the airstrikes. Tuggar described the coordination with the US as a “collaborative effort” to combat terrorism and protect innocent lives. US Africa Command said the attacks were done in cooperation with Nigerian authorities. Trump stated on Truth Social that the military executed “numerous perfect strikes” against ISIS terrorists targeting Christians. Neither side confirmed if there were casualties. Tuggar called this a “new phase of an old conflict,” indicating more action may follow. The strikes focused on areas where Islamic State – Sahel Province operates, especially in forested parts of Sokoto, near Niger. These groups have links to local bandits and armed herders. Violence in Nigeria often involves clashes over land and water between mostly Muslim herders and largely Christian farmers. Tuggar emphasized the operation does not target any one religion but aims to protect all Nigerians. A day before the strikes, a suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed five and hurt over 30, blamed on Boko Haram. Nigeria has seen nearly 6,000 violent incidents this year, half targeting civilians. Sokoto had the fourth highest number. Despite campaigning on peace, Trump’s current term includes several military interventions abroad, with strikes also in Yemen, Iran, and Syria.