US, Nigeria ramp up attacks on ISWAP after killing IS global second-in-command
PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative file photo — A U.S. Army Green Beret is seen during exercise Flintlock 26, in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire, April 21, 2026. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Kristina Randall via U.S. Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS))
LAGOS - The U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) and the Nigerian military said on Monday they had carried out additional airstrikes against Islamic State targets in northeastern Nigeria on Sunday, as joint operations against militant groups intensify.
The operations in the Lake Chad zone underscore Washington's readiness to tackle militants directly in Africa, which is now the focus of the group's global operations.
Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters said the latest strikes were conducted in Borno state's Metele area, following intelligence that fighters had converged there.
Multiple airstrikes killed more than 20 Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants, according to a Nigerian military statement. Reuters could not independently confirm the toll.
AFRICOM said no U.S. or Nigerian personnel were harmed in the operation.
Sunday's strikes came a day after a joint U.S.-Nigerian mission involving airstrikes and a ground operation that killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described by both governments as the second-in-command of Islamic State globally.
ISLAMIC STATE PIVOTS TO AFRICA
Since suffering major setbacks in the Middle East, Islamic State has pivoted towards Africa, which accounted for 86% of the group’s global activity in the first three months of 2026, according to crisis monitoring group Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED).
Northeastern Nigeria is the primary base of the biggest faction, ISWAP, but other branches operate in the Sahel region and also in Somalia, Mozambique and Congo.
Al-Minuki was a regional Islamic State leader who ran the group’s Al Furqan Office, which helps manage global affairs, including the coordination of financing. His position underscored the increased importance of Africa for the wider group, also known by the name of its previously dominant Middle Eastern operation, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
"This is a severe blow to ISIL, and to their plan to shift focus towards Africa. They will struggle to replace him," Colin Smith, co-ordinator of the United Nations team that monitors al Qaeda and the Islamic State, told Reuters.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu described the killing of Al-Minuki, a Nigerian citizen, as a major setback for the militant group.
Trump, who has previously criticised Nigeria over security issues, thanked the Nigerian government for its cooperation.
Nigeria’s military said the latest operations formed part of sustained efforts to disrupt insurgent networks, remove fighters from the battlefield and deny them safe haven.
Borno State has endured a 17-year insurgency led by Boko Haram and ISWAP. The conflict has killed thousands and displaced about 2 million people.
(Reporting by Akanksha Khushi in Bengaluru, Ahmed Kingimi in Maiduguri, David Lewis in London; Writing by Chijioke Ohuocha and MacDonald DzirutweEditing by Alex Richardson, Aidan Lewis // REUTERS)
