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More than 20 Islamic State fighters have been killed in new joint air strikes by Nigerian and United States forces in northeastern Nigeria, the Defence Headquarters said on Monday.
The strikes were carried out in the Metele area on Sunday following observed movements of terrorist elements, according to a statement by Major General Samaila Uba, director of defence information.
The ongoing joint operations follow the killing of senior ISIS commander Abu-Bilal al-Minuki on May 16 and are part of sustained efforts to disrupt terrorist networks, remove them from the battlefield, and deny the terrorists any safe haven within Nigeria, Uba said.
“The armed forces of Nigeria will continue to aggressively defend the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of the nation,” Uba added.
PRESS RELEASE
COORDINATED STRIKES AND TARGETING OF ISIS TERRORISTS CONTINUE
The Defence Headquarters, in close coordination with United States Africa Command, wish to update the general public on the continuation of coordinated operations against ISIS militants across the… pic.twitter.com/cyhVxsGvxd
— DEFENCE HQ NIGERIA (@DHQNigeria) May 18, 2026
“Terrorists who threaten our citizens, communities and national stability will be located and defeated. There will be no safe haven for all terrorists anywhere in Nigeria.”
The United States Africa Command also confirmed that it conducted additional kinetic strikes against ISIS in northeastern Nigeria on May 17 in coordination with the Nigerian government. No US or Nigerian forces were harmed, the command said.
The latest strikes come two days after a joint US-Nigeria mission killed al-Minuki, described by AFRICOM as the Islamic State’s director of global operations, along with several other senior leaders in the Lake Chad Basin.
