Nigeria’s military says joint operations with the United States Africa Command have killed three senior commanders of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in renewed air and ground strikes across Nigeria’s northeast.
The Defence Headquarters Nigeria identified the slain militants as Abd-al Wahhab, Abu Musa al-Mangawi, and Abu al-Muthanna al-Muhajir, describing them as key figures in ISWAP’s command structure and propaganda network.
Military spokesperson Samaila Uba said Abd-al Wahhab coordinated attacks and propaganda operations, while al-Mangawi played a senior operational role. Al-Muhajir was said to oversee media production and was a close associate of a top ISIS commander previously killed in a separate strike.
Authorities say the latest operations are part of a wider campaign targeting ISIS-linked infrastructure in Borno and surrounding states. Military sources report that checkpoints, weapons depots, logistics hubs and financing networks used by insurgents were destroyed during the raids.
The Defence Headquarters said that since the start of the joint operations, a total of 175 ISIS-linked fighters have been eliminated, significantly disrupting the group’s operational capacity in the region.
Officials added that the strikes are designed to weaken insurgent command structures and prevent coordinated attacks against civilians and security forces across the Lake Chad Basin.
Security analysts note that the campaign reflects a broader shift in ISIS activity toward Africa, with the continent now accounting for the majority of the group’s global operations in recent months.
The development also highlights growing security cooperation between Abuja and Washington, following increased US advisory and training support to Nigerian counterterrorism efforts.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has welcomed the joint operations, commending international support in the fight against terrorism and pledging continued efforts to dismantle extremist networks threatening national stability.
Military authorities say operations will continue in the region until remaining insurgent cells are neutralised.
