Nigeria, U.S. Carry Out New Strikes On Isis

@BrantPhilip_
USS Paul Ignatius, used in a previous strike on Nigeria (file photo).
18 May 2026
Vanguard (Lagos)

Nigeria and the United States have carried out fresh strikes against Islamic State jihadists in northeast Nigeria, the US military said on Monday.

The strikes were conducted on Sunday, US Africa Command (Africom) said in a statement. "Intelligence confirmed the targets were ISIS militants. Complete assessments are ongoing. No US or Nigerian forces were harmed," it said.

The new strikes came two days after the United States and Nigeria announced that a joint operation in the west African country killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, an IS leader described as the group's second-in-command worldwide who has been under US sanctions since 2023.

Northern Nigeria has faced the double threat of attacks from jihadist groups allied to IS and from criminal gangs that stalk villages and carry out mass kidnappings.

The insecurity had drawn criticism from US President Donald Trump who said Nigeria's Christians were being persecuted. The Nigerian government has rejected the claim, insisting that Christians and Muslims were equally the victims of the violence.

Read the original article on Vanguard.

Tagged:
Copyright © 2026 Vanguard. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.