THE Defence Headquarters on Monday announced that Nigerian troops, working alongside the United States Africa Command, carried out coordinated air strikes that wiped out more than 20 fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province 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 sent to News Point Nigeria by the Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba, the military described the operation as part of an intensified campaign aimed at crippling terrorist networks, dismantling their 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 said the offensive forms part of sustained counterterrorism efforts designed to flush insurgents out of their enclaves, disrupt planned attacks, and restore security across affected communities.
Reaffirming the military’s resolve, Uba stated that the Armed Forces of Nigeria would continue aggressive operations to defend the nation’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 United States President Donald Trump and Nigerian President Bola Tinubu confirmed the killing of notorious ISIS commander Al-Minuki during a separate joint counterterrorism mission involving Nigerian and American forces.
Trump described Al-Minuki as one of the world’s most dangerous terrorists and claimed the slain extremist was regarded as ISIS’ second-in-command globally, adding that the militant had believed Africa would shield him from capture.
