Nigerian forces working with the United States have killed 175 Islamic State fighters in recent joint counterterrorism strikes in the country’s northeast, Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters said Tuesday.
Defence spokesperson Major-General Samaila Uba said the operations, conducted in coordination with U.S. Africa Command, destroyed militant checkpoints, weapons caches, logistics hubs, equipment and financing networks used by ISIS and its West African affiliate, ISWAP.
“As of 19 May 2026, assessments indicate that 175 ISIS terrorists have been eliminated from the battlefield,” Uba said, adding that the strikes reinforced the military’s commitment to hunt down terrorists “anywhere they are in Nigeria.”
AFRICOM confirmed that it conducted counterterrorism operations in northeastern Nigeria in coordination with the Nigerian government, saying no U.S. or Nigerian troops were harmed.
The announcement follows the reported killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, also known as Abu-Mainok, in a joint Nigeria-U.S. strike in the Lake Chad Basin. President Donald Trump described al-Minuki as ISIS’s global second-in-command, while President Bola Tinubu called the operation a major example of effective counterterrorism cooperation.
AFRICOM identified al-Minuki as ISIS’s director of global operations and said multiple senior ISIS leaders were killed in the May 16 operation. Nigerian officials said he played a key role in ISIL operations across West Africa and the Sahel.
Nigeria’s military also reported the deaths of Abd-al Wahhab, described as an ISWAP leader responsible for attack planning and propaganda, along with Abu Musa al-Mangawi and Abu al-Muthanna al-Muhajir, both identified as senior ISWAP figures.
The operations suggest a more active U.S. role in Nigeria’s counterinsurgency campaign. Washington deployed troops earlier this year in what officials described largely as an advisory and intelligence-support mission, but recent strikes point to deeper operational cooperation.
The northeast has endured a 17-year insurgency by Boko Haram and ISWAP, which has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions. The Lake Chad region remains one of the main theatres of jihadist violence in West Africa, even as ISIS has increasingly shifted attention to Africa after setbacks in the Middle East.
For Tinubu’s government, the strikes offer a high-profile security win at a time of pressure to show progress against terrorism. For Washington, they reflect growing concern that ISIS affiliates in Africa are becoming central to the group’s global activity.
