The United States military carried out additional air strikes against ISIL-linked fighters in northeastern Nigeria in coordination with Nigerian forces, the US Africa Command announced Monday.
AFRICOM reported that the operation took place Sunday and described the attacks as part of ongoing efforts to weaken armed groups operating in the region. The command noted that no US or Nigerian personnel were harmed during the mission.
“The removal of these terrorists diminishes the group’s capacity to plan attacks that threaten the safety and security of the US and our partners,” AFRICOM stated.
The latest strikes came days after U.S. President Donald Trump and Nigerian President Bola Tinubu announced the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, identified as the deputy leader of ISIL’s West Africa Province. Tinubu reported that al-Minuki and several associates were targeted at a compound in the Lake Chad Basin.
Nigerian military officials noted that al-Minuki previously held a senior role in Boko Haram before aligning with ISIL in 2015.
The operations come amid expanded security cooperation between Washington and Abuja, including intelligence sharing and technical support from US personnel deployed to Nigeria in recent months.
