Nigeria, US Joint Airstrike Neutralises 21 ISWAP Fighters in Borno

Nigerian military forces and the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) have carried out a fresh joint airstrike in Borno State, neutralising 21 suspected ISWAP fighters in the Arege area of Kukawa Local Government Area.

Defence Headquarters confirmed the operation was intelligence-driven, targeting a terrorist enclave used for planning cross-border attacks across the Lake Chad region.

AFRICOM issued a separate statement confirming the operation and noting that no US or Nigerian personnel were harmed during the mission.

This latest strike comes just a day after a separate joint operation killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described by both governments as ISWAP’s second-in-command and head of the group’s Al Furqan financing arm. His death was confirmed by President Bola Tinubu and US President Donald Trump as a major breakthrough in the campaign against terrorism in the region.

According to data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), Africa accounted for 86 percent of Islamic State-related activity globally in early 2026, with the Lake Chad basin remaining the epicentre of the group’s operations on the continent.

The northeast of Nigeria has been under insurgents’ grip for over 17 years, with thousands killed and nearly two million displaced despite repeated military offensives and regional security collaborations.

Sources: BusinessDay, Daily Post