The US Africa Command and Nigerian forces have launched a new wave of airstrikes against ISWAP positions in northeastern Nigeria, expanding the joint campaign that began on May 16 with the elimination of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as the Islamic State’s second-in-command.
Since the operation began, more than 175 ISWAP terrorists have reportedly been killed. The follow-up strikes on May 18 targeted ISWAP concentrations, checkpoints, weapons caches, logistics centers, equipment and financial networks across northern Nigeria.
The operation is not only a battlefield success. It is a direct strike against the Islamic State’s ability to rebuild command structures in Africa after losing major ground in the Middle East. Several senior ISIS figures close to al-Minuki have also reportedly been eliminated, suggesting that US and Nigerian intelligence penetrated a significant part of the terror organization’s African network.
For years, ISWAP has used northeastern Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin as a base for terror attacks, recruitment, smuggling and regional expansion. The latest strikes show that Washington and Abuja are no longer only reacting to attacks — they are hunting the leadership, cutting the supply lines and dismantling the infrastructure that allows the group to survive.