The U.S. military continued the intensification of its campaign against ISIS in Nigeria, carrying out another wave of strikes on Sunday.The strikes concluded a busy week for AFRICOM in Nigeria, coming off its Saturday operation that killed Abu-Bilal al Minuki, ISIS’s director of global operations and second in command. AFRICOM said assessments are ongoing around its Sunday strikes but that the targets were confirmed ISIS fighters.“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,” it said, adding that the strikes were done in coordination with Nigeria’s government.
Nigerian Armed Forces spokesman Samaila Uba said more than 20 ISIS fighters were killed in the strikes.
AFRICOM released thermal footage of the strike, showing three alleged ISIS fighters being hit with a missile and presumably killed.
— U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) (@USAfricaCommand) May 18, 2026
The Nigerian Armed Forces provided further context around the strikes in its own statement.
