Nigerian forces, working with the United States, have killed 175 Islamic State militants in a series of joint air and ground operations in the country’s northeast, Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters said on Tuesday.
The military said the operations, carried out with U.S. Africa Command, targeted positions and support networks used by Islamic State West Africa Province, including checkpoints, weapons caches, logistics hubs and financing channels.
“As of 19 May, assessments indicate that 175 ISIS militants have been eliminated from the battlefield,” Defence spokesperson Major-General Samaila Uba said in a statement.
The strikes come as Islamic State has increasingly shifted attention to Africa following major losses in the Middle East. Crisis monitoring group Armed Conflict Location & Event Data said Africa accounted for 86% of the group’s global activity in the first three months of 2026.
Nigeria’s military said the campaign also killed several senior Islamic State figures. Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described by both Nigerian and U.S. authorities as Islamic State’s global No. 2, was killed in strikes on May 16.
Further raids over the weekend killed Abd al-Wahhab, an ISWAP commander responsible for attacks and propaganda, as well as Abu Musa al-Mangawi and Abu al-Muthanna al-Muhajir, a senior media operative and close associate of al-Minuki, the statement said.
The Defence Headquarters said the operations were part of an ongoing campaign to “hunt down and destroy” militants threatening Nigeria and the wider region.
ISWAP has waged a years-long insurgency in northeast Nigeria and the Lake Chad region, carrying out attacks on military positions, civilians and local communities. The group broke away from Boko Haram and has remained one of Islamic State’s most active African affiliates.