The United States military says it has carried out additional air strikes targeting Islamic State-linked fighters in northeastern Nigeria, in coordination with Nigerian security forces, as part of an intensified counterterrorism campaign in the region.
The U.S. Africa Command, known as United States Africa Command, said the “additional kinetic strikes” were conducted on Sunday, adding that no American or Nigerian personnel were injured during the operation.
Officials said the strikes are aimed at weakening Islamic State West Africa Province, or ISWAP, and disrupting its ability to plan and execute attacks across the Lake Chad Basin and surrounding areas.
In its statement, AFRICOM said the operation “diminishes the group’s capacity to plan attacks that threaten the safety and security of the United States and its partners,” stressing continued support for regional allies in combating extremist threats.
The latest strikes come just days after Nigerian and U.S. authorities confirmed the killing of a senior ISWAP commander, Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, in a joint operation in the Lake Chad Basin. Both governments described the earlier mission as a significant blow to the group’s leadership structure.
U.S. President Donald Trump first announced the operation in a social media post, while Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu later confirmed that al-Minuki and several of his lieutenants were killed in the coordinated strike.
Security analysts say al-Minuki was a key figure in ISWAP operations, reportedly responsible for coordinating attacks across parts of West Africa after previously serving in Boko Haram before pledging allegiance to Islamic State in 2015.
Former Nigerian intelligence official Dennis Amachree said the killing is expected to create a major leadership vacuum within ISWAP, potentially disrupting its financing and operational networks.
The renewed military activity follows an expanded security partnership between Washington and Abuja, including intelligence sharing, surveillance support and limited deployments of U.S. personnel to assist Nigerian forces. Officials say American troops are not involved in direct combat but provide technical and logistical assistance under Nigerian command.
The Lake Chad Basin region has remained a hotspot of insurgency for more than a decade, with groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP responsible for thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions across Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
Previous joint operations have included airstrikes against IS-affiliated fighters in northwestern Nigeria, as both countries step up efforts to contain extremist activity spreading across West Africa’s Sahel region.
Analysts say while recent strikes may disrupt militant leadership in the short term, long-term stability will depend on addressing underlying issues such as poverty, weak governance and ongoing regional instability.
