Nigerian military announces defeat of 175 ISIS fighters in joint strikes with US
The Nigerian army announced on Tuesday that 175 ISIS fighters were killed after several days of airstrikes in the northeast of the country carried out jointly with the United States. “175 ISIS militants have been eliminated on the battlefield,” said army spokesperson Samaila Uba in a statement. He also added that the joint strikes led to the destruction of ISIS control posts, weapon caches, logistical centers, military equipment, and financial networks used to support terrorist operations.
On Saturday, jihadist leader Abou Bilal al-Minuki, described as “one of the most important agents of ISIS in the world” by Samaila Uba, was killed in a remote village in the northeast during an 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 strongholds nationwide.
Emergency security situation at a national level
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 is also plagued by violence from criminal gangs, which frequently carry out attacks on villages and engage in mass kidnappings for ransom payments.
Boko Haram and Iswap have recently intensified their attacks on villages, police posts, groups of workers such as loggers or fishermen, as well as military bases, leading to the deaths of civilians and high-ranking military officials. This surge in deadly attacks and kidnappings prompted the Nigerian president to declare a national state of emergency in 2025, and the American president to threaten military intervention in the country.
Mr. Trump claimed that Christians in Nigeria were “persecuted” and victims of a “genocide” carried out by “terrorists,” a statement strongly refuted by Abuja and most experts, who assert that the violence generally targets both Christians and Muslims indiscriminately. The American military, in coordination with Nigerian authorities, had previously conducted airstrikes in the state of Sokoto (northwest) targeting ISIS jihadists on Christmas Day. Washington has deployed around 200 soldiers to Nigeria to support and train its armed forces.
