U.S. forces, in coordination with the Nigerian government, have intensified military pressure on Islamic State (ISIS) fighters operating in northeastern Nigeria, marking a sharp escalation in counterterrorism operations in the region.
Last week, troops from both countries carried out their second publicly acknowledged joint operation targeting ISIS-linked militants in the Lake Chad Basin, including a strike aimed at senior commander Abu Bilal al-Minuki as part of a renewed offensive against the group’s leadership.
Earlier this week on Tuesday, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) confirmed that additional strikes were conducted against ISIS positions in northeastern Nigeria.
“On May 18, 2026, U.S. Africa Command, in coordination with the Government of Nigeria, conducted additional kinetic strikes against ISIS in Northeastern Nigeria,” AFRICOM stated in an official release.
Intelligence assessments indicated that the targets were confirmed ISIS operatives, with investigations into the full impact of the strikes still ongoing. Officials added that no casualties were recorded among U.S. or Nigerian forces.
“The elimination of these militants reduces the group’s ability to organize attacks that endanger both U.S. interests and regional security,” the statement further noted.
According to Nigeria’s military, a coordinated operation alongside American forces resulted in the killing of 175 militants.
This latest phase of operations represents the third series of air and ground strikes carried out within five days by the joint forces, according to reports from Stripes.
Military spokesperson Samaila Uba confirmed that the campaign disrupted ISIS financial networks, supply chains, and tactical positions across northeastern Nigeria.
Earlier US operations against ISIS in Nigeria
Following criticism from U.S. Congressman Riley Moore over Nigeria’s handling of rising insecurity, former President Donald Trump announced a separate operation that reportedly eliminated ISIS’s global second-in-command in Nigeria.
Trump described the mission as a “very complex” and highly coordinated strike involving U.S. and Nigerian forces, which successfully targeted Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, whom he referred to as one of the most active terrorist figures globally.
He also claimed that intelligence sources had tracked the militant’s movements across Africa, stating that the ISIS leader believed he could evade detection but was continuously monitored by U.S. assets.
Earlier, on Christmas Day 2025, U.S. forces carried out coordinated airstrikes on ISIS-linked positions in Sokoto State in northwestern Nigeria, marking the first publicly known American strike on Nigerian soil.
That operation, approved by the Nigerian government, targeted camps linked to ISIS affiliates and signaled a deeper level of U.S. involvement in Nigeria’s ongoing counterterrorism campaign.