- The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has announced that Nigerian troops, in close collaboration with the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), successfully neutralized more than 20 Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants during fresh coordinated air strikes.
- The lethal air campaign was executed in the general area of Metele, North-East Nigeria, after military intelligence tracked a major convergence and migration pattern of the terrorist elements across the region.
- This latest tactical breakthrough comes directly on the heels of joint statements by U.S. President Donald Trump and President Bola Tinubu confirming the elimination of high-profile ISIS global second-in-command, Abu-Bilal al-Minuki.
The joint counter-terrorism partnership between the Nigerian Armed Forces and the United States military achieved another significant operational success on Monday, May 18, 2026, with the elimination of over 20 ISWAP fighters in Borno State.
Eko Hot Blog reports that according to an official update released by the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, the coordinated aerial assault targeted a specific terrorist stronghold within the Metele axis.
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The precision strikes were launched immediately after surveillance assets picked up anomalous movements and tactical regrouping by the insurgent forces, who have been facing immense structural pressure across the Lake Chad basin.
The Defence Headquarters emphasized that the latest Metele bombardment is an expansion of the ongoing joint strategy to systematically dismantle remaining terrorist networks and permanently deny them territorial safe havens.
Major General Uba stated that the military alliance remains aggressively committed to defending Nigeria’s territorial sovereignty and protecting vulnerable communities from asymmetric warfare.
He issued a stern warning to insurgent remnants, stating that security forces will continue to actively seek out, locate, and neutralize any armed factions attempting to threaten national stability or disrupt local commerce.
This fresh operational victory underscores a significant escalation in bilateral military cooperation following last week’s historic announcement by Presidents Donald Trump and Bola Tinubu regarding the death of global ISIS kingpin Abu-Bilal al-Minuki.
U.S. officials had previously described al-Minuki as one of the most active and dangerous operational leaders within the global terror syndicate, who had relocated to Africa under the assumption that he could evade the tracking networks of international intelligence agencies.
Military commanders indicate that the strategic disruption caused by the elimination of top-tier leadership has triggered panic and disorderly migrations within the ranks of ISWAP and ISIS affiliates in the North-East.
By sustaining intense aerial blockades and ground offensives, the combined forces aim to capitalize on this command vacuum, preventing the fighters from executing retaliatory strikes against civilian populations or consolidating new bases along the porous border corridors.
