U.S., Nigeria strikes kill 175 ISIS militants in northeast Nigeria

U.S. and Nigerian forces have killed 175 ISIS militants in a series of strikes in northeast Nigeria, including several senior leaders involved in external operations, financing and propaganda, according to military officials.

The latest strikes were carried out on Monday by U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) in coordination with the Nigerian government. The command said intelligence confirmed the targets were ISIS militants, but complete assessments were still underway.

Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters said the joint strikes began several days earlier and had eliminated 175 militants from the battlefield as of Tuesday. The operations also destroyed ISIS checkpoints, weapons caches, logistical hubs, military equipment and financial networks used to support the group’s operations, according to Nigeria’s military.

The strikes follow an operation on Saturday in which AFRICOM said multiple ISIS militants were killed, including Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, the director of global operations for ISIS, and other senior leaders.

Nigeria’s military described al-Minuki as one of the most significant ISIS operatives in the world, saying he played a central role in external operations, including terrorist financing, recruitment, logistics and attack planning targeting Nigerians and civilians outside Nigeria.

“His death severely disrupts ISIS command, operational coordination and external attack networks,” Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters said.

Other senior figures killed in the strikes included Abd-al Wahhab, described as a senior leader in ISWAP, the West African branch of ISIS, who was responsible for coordinating attacks and distributing propaganda; Abu Musa al-Mangawi, an ISWAP senior member; and Abu al-Muthanna al-Muhajir, described as a senior media production team manager and close confidant to al-Minuki.

The group emerged from a split within Boko Haram and has carried out attacks against civilians, security forces and local communities.

“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.

Nigeria’s military said the joint operations would continue against militants who threaten Nigeria and regional stability.