NAF Strikes Abasu Aiki Enclave in Katsina. Credit: The Cable
The United States Africa Command, in coordination with the Government of Nigeria, conducted additional kinetic strikes against Islamic State militants in northeastern Nigeria on Sunday, the command said on Monday.
Intelligence confirmed the targets were ISIS militants, according to a statement from AFRICOM. Complete assessments are ongoing.
No U.S. or Nigerian forces were harmed during the operation, the command said.
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#AFRICOM, in continued coordination with Nigeria, conducted kinetic strikes against ISIS fighters in NE Nigeria on May 17. No U.S. or Nigerian forces were harmed.
— U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) (@USAfricaCommand) May 18, 2026
“The removal of these terrorists diminishes the group’s capacity to plan attacks that threaten the safety and security of the U.S. and our partners,” AFRICOM said in the statement.
The command said it remains committed to leveraging specialised U.S. capabilities in support of its partners to defeat shared security threats.
The strikes come two days after a joint operation on May 16 that killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described by AFRICOM as the Islamic State’s director of global operations and “the most active terrorist in the world,” along with several other senior ISIS leaders in the Lake Chad Basin.
Jimisayo Opanuga is a web writer in the Digital Department at News Central TV, where she covers African and international stories. Her reporting focuses on social issues, health, justice, and the environment, alongside general-interest news. She is passionate about telling stories that inform the public and give voice to underreported communities.
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