The Nigerian army announced on Tuesday, May 19, that they had killed 175 fighters from the Islamic State (IS) after several days of airstrikes in the northeast of the country, carried out jointly with the United States.
“In total, 175 IS militants were eliminated on the battlefield,” said army spokesperson Samaila Uba in a statement. “The joint strikes led to the destruction of IS control posts, weapon caches, logistical centers, military equipment, and financial networks used to support terrorist operations,” he added.
Previously, jihadist leader Abou Bilal al-Minuki, described as “one of the most important agents of IS in the world” by Samaila Uba, was killed in a village in the northeast during a joint operation by the two countries.
Following his death, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu thanked his American counterpart, Donald Trump, for his “unwavering support” and expressed anticipation for more decisive strikes against all terrorist enclaves across the country.
Deadly Attacks Since 2009, a jihadist insurgency led by Boko Haram and its rival, the Islamic State in West Africa (Iswap), has resulted in over 40,000 deaths and two million displaced people in the northeast of Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, according to the UN. The northern region of Nigeria also faces violence from criminal gangs, who frequently carry out attacks on villages and mass kidnappings for ransom.
Boko Haram and Iswap have recently intensified their attacks on villages, police stations, groups of workers such as loggers or fishermen, as well as military bases, resulting in the deaths of several civilians and high-ranking military officials. This surge in deadly attacks and kidnappings prompted the Nigerian President to declare a nationwide state of emergency in 2025, and the American President to threaten military intervention in the country.
Donald Trump claimed that Christians in Nigeria were “persecuted” and victims of a “genocide” perpetrated by “terrorists,” a statement strongly denied by Abuja and most experts, who assert that the violence affects both Christians and Muslims indiscriminately.
In coordination with Nigerian authorities, the US military had previously conducted airstrikes in Sokoto state (northwest) targeting IS jihadists. Approximately 200 US soldiers have been deployed to Nigeria to support and train its armed forces.
