United States Africa Command on Monday carried out additional kinetic strikes against ISIS in Northeastern Nigeria, according to a statement released by the command. The operation was conducted in coordination with the government of Nigeria, as reported by Reuters.
"US Africa Command, in coordination with the Government of Nigeria, conducted additional kinetic strikes against ISIS in Northeastern Nigeria. Intelligence confirmed the targets were ISIS militants. Complete assessments are ongoing. No US or Nigerian forces were harmed," the Africa Command public affairs office said in a statement.
The statement further emphasized: "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 remains committed to leveraging specialized US capabilities in support of our partners to defeat shared security threats."
This latest action comes just days after Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as the global second-in-command of the Islamic State group, was killed in a joint operation by US and Nigerian forces. In a statement, US President Donald Trump confirmed that the operation was carried out at his direction and involved what he called a "meticulously planned and very complex mission" by American and Nigerian troops.
"Tonight, at my direction, brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission to eliminate the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
He noted that the ISIS leader had been tracked through intelligence sources despite attempting to hide in Africa. Trump added that al-Minuki had played a role in planning operations targeting Americans and destabilizing parts of Africa, and his death would significantly weaken ISIS's global network.
The US Africa Command continues to work with regional partners to counter terrorist threats in the region. The kinetic strikes aim to degrade ISIS capabilities and prevent future attacks against US interests and allies.
