ABUJA – The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) and the Nigerian military said they had carried out joint operations against Boko Haram and Islamic State-linked militants in northeastern Nigeria, killing more than 200 fighters and destroying key insurgent infrastructure.
In a statement posted on X, AFRICOM said the operations formed part of broader efforts to degrade Islamic State-affiliated groups operating across the African continent.
“As AFRICOM continues to strengthen its partnership with Nigeria, joint operations against Islamic State fighters in northeastern Nigeria eliminated more than 200 terrorists, including senior leader Abu Bilal al-Minuki,” the command said.
Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters spokesman, Samaila Mohammed Uba, said the coordinated assaults had significantly weakened the operational capabilities of the extremist groups.
He said military forces destroyed militant camps, logistics storage facilities and hideouts used by insurgents during the operations.
According to Uba, the growing cooperation between Washington and Abuja has enhanced Nigeria’s capabilities in intelligence gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance, enabling security forces to target high-value objectives more effectively.
Nigeria has battled a jihadist insurgency for more than a decade, with Boko Haram and its rival faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), carrying out attacks that have killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions, particularly in the northeastern states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.
The latest operations come amid increased U.S. support for Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts, especially in intelligence sharing and military assistance aimed at combating Islamic State-linked groups in West Africa.
In January, Washington announced plans to expand intelligence cooperation and support for Nigerian air operations conducted in the country’s northeast and northwest.
Despite strengthening security ties, political tensions have occasionally surfaced between the two countries. Nigerian officials have previously rejected claims by U.S. President Donald Trump that Christians in Nigeria were being subjected to widespread targeted killings, insisting that the country’s security challenges stem primarily from terrorism and organised criminal activity rather than religious conflict.
Africa’s most populous nation remains broadly divided between a predominantly Muslim north and a largely Christian south, although authorities have repeatedly stressed that the insurgency is driven by extremist violence and criminality.
Officials from both countries said joint operations would continue in an effort to improve regional security and counter the persistent threat posed by Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters operating in parts of Nigeria.
