The Defence Headquarters on Monday announced that Nigerian troops, working alongside the United States Africa Command, carried out coordinated air strikes that killed more than 20 fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Nigeria’s North-East region.
According to the military, the precision attacks targeted terrorist hideouts around Metele in Borno State after intelligence reports revealed the movement and gathering of insurgents within the area.
In a statement issued by the Director of Defence Information, Samaila Uba, the military described the operation as part of an intensified campaign aimed at crippling terrorist networks, dismantling operational bases and preventing fighters from regrouping.
“The Defence Headquarters, in close coordination with United States Africa Command, wishes to update the general public on the continuation of coordinated operations against ISIS militants across North-East Nigeria,” the statement said.
The military disclosed that surveillance operations detected a fresh convergence of terrorist elements, prompting a series of calculated air assaults that successfully neutralised dozens of ISWAP fighters.
Officials stated that the offensive forms part of sustained counterterrorism operations aimed at flushing insurgents out of their enclaves, disrupting planned attacks and restoring security across affected communities.
Reaffirming the military’s resolve, Uba said the Armed Forces of Nigeria would continue aggressive operations to defend the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“Terrorists who threaten our citizens, communities and national stability will be located and defeated. There will be no safe haven for terrorists anywhere in Nigeria,” he declared.
The latest operation comes days after Donald Trump and Bola Ahmed Tinubu confirmed the killing of notorious ISIS commander Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki during a separate joint counterterrorism mission involving Nigerian and American forces.
Trump had described Al-Manuki as one of the world’s most dangerous terrorists and claimed the slain extremist was regarded as ISIS’ second-in-command globally.
The US president also stated that the militant believed Africa would shield him from capture before he was eliminated during the operation.
