The Nigerian military say 175 Islamic State (IS) militants have been eliminated from the battlefield in ongoing operations in the region.
In a statement signed by the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, the military said the operations delivered a devastating blow to terrorist networks, with several strategic targets destroyed.
The US Africa Command (AFRICOM) also confirmed the casualty figure of 175 militants.
AFRICOM commander General Dagvin Anderson told a Congressional hearing in Washington that Nigeria had played a key role in intelligence sharing and operational support over recent months.
US and Nigerian forces also killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as a top IS leader and one of the most active terrorists globally, in a remote village in northeast Nigeria last weekend.
According to military and AFRICOM reports, al-Minuki coordinated IS global operations, including strategic guidance on media, financial operations and the development and manufacturing of weapons, explosives and drones.
Following the announcement, President Bola Tinubu thanked US President Donald Trump for his support and said he looked forward to continued strikes against terrorist groups across the country.
The military also said other IS figures were killed in recent operations, including Abd-al Wahhab, Abu Musa al-Mangawi, and Abu al-Muthanna al-Muhajir, all linked to ISWAP operations. Abu Musa al-Mangawi was said to be a high-ranking ISWAP member, while Abu al-Muthanna al-Muhajir was a senior media production team manager and close confidant to al-Minuki.
US AFRICOM said several key ISIS leaders were eliminated in the coordinated offensive.
Boko Haram and ISWAP have recently stepped up reported attacks on villages, police stations, and workers such as loggers and fishermen, as well as military bases, causing the deaths of several civilians and senior army officers.
The upsurge in attacks prompted Tinubu to declare a nationwide state of emergency in 2025 and the US president to threaten Nigeria with military intervention.
Trump has claimed that Christians in Nigeria were being persecuted and were victims of a genocide carried out by terrorists.
The government in Abuja and most experts reject the claim and point out that the violence generally affects Christians and Muslims without distinction.
The US military, in coordination with the Nigerian authorities, carried out airstrikes on December 25 last year in the northwestern state of Sokoto, targeting what Washington called jihadists.
Northern Nigeria has been grappling with violence from criminal gangs known locally as bandits, who frequently carry out attacks on villages and mass kidnappings for ransom.
Africom has also taken action against IS and al-Shabaab militants in Somalia, intensifying airstrikes since the beginning of the year.
Comments