Keypoints:
- US-backed strikes hit ISWAP targets in Borno
- Africa now hosts most global Islamic State activity
- Killing of al-Minuki seen as strategic breakthrough
NIGERIAN and US forces have intensified joint military missions against Islamic State-linked militants in northeastern Nigeria, highlighting the continent’s growing importance in global counterterrorism efforts and Washington’s expanding security role in West Africa.
Sunday’s airstrikes, carried out in Borno State’s Metele area, targeted fighters from Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), according to Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters and the US Africa Command (AFRICOM). Nigerian authorities said more than 20 militants were killed, although Reuters reported the figure could not be independently verified.
The insurgency has devastated communities across northeastern Nigeria for nearly two decades, killing thousands and displacing an estimated 2 million people across the Lake Chad Basin.
The renewed campaign reflects a broader shift in global jihadist dynamics, with Africa replacing the Middle East as the operational centre of gravity for Islamic State activities.
According to conflict monitoring organisation Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), the continent accounted for 86 percent of Islamic State activity worldwide during the first quarter of 2026, underscoring its rising strategic importance to the militant group.
ISWAP emerged from a split within Boko Haram and has become one of Islamic State’s most active African affiliates, operating across northeastern Nigeria and neighbouring states around Lake Chad.
Islamic State pivots towards Africa
The strikes came just one day after a separate joint US-Nigerian mission reportedly killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described by both governments as Islamic State’s second-in-command globally.
Al-Minuki, a Nigerian national, reportedly oversaw the group’s Al Furqan Office, which coordinated international financing and broader operational management across Islamic State networks.
Security analysts say his death represents more than a battlefield success. It signals a potentially significant intelligence and counterterrorism breakthrough for both Washington and Abuja.
Colin Smith, co-ordinator of the United Nations monitoring team on Islamic State and al Qaeda, told Reuters the killing could disrupt the group’s efforts to consolidate its influence across African theatres.
‘This is a severe blow to ISIL, and to their plan to shift focus towards Africa,’ Smith said. ‘They will struggle to replace him.’
Washington expands military role
The strikes also point to a growing willingness by the United States to engage more directly in African security theatres following years of instability across the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin.
AFRICOM confirmed that no US or Nigerian personnel were harmed during the operation, while Nigerian military officials described the offensive as part of sustained efforts to dismantle insurgent networks and deny militants safe haven.
The Lake Chad region has become a strategic hub for militant activity, with porous borders allowing fighters to move between Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
Washington’s deeper involvement comes as Western powers reassess security partnerships across Africa following France’s declining military footprint in parts of the Sahel.
Analysts say Washington is prioritising intelligence-sharing, drone surveillance and targeted missions alongside local forces rather than deploying large-scale troop deployments.
Nigeria at centre of counterterrorism push
Nigeria remains the epicentre of the region’s insurgency crisis. Borno State has endured nearly two decades of violence linked to Boko Haram and ISWAP, despite repeated military offensives and government claims of progress.
The latest joint strikes suggest Abuja is strengthening cooperation with international partners as it seeks to contain adaptive militant networks.
US President Donald Trump and Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu both described the killing of al-Minuki as a major setback for Islamic State operations.
Trump also thanked Nigeria for its cooperation, despite previously criticising Abuja over security challenges.
Security experts caution, however, that leadership losses do not necessarily eliminate militant threats. Islamic State affiliates operating across the Sahel, Somalia, Mozambique and Congo have repeatedly demonstrated resilience despite sustained military pressure.
For Washington and its allies, the battle against Islamic State is increasingly being fought not in the Middle East, but across Africa’s fragile security corridors.
