DHQ gives update on Nigeria-US operations against Islamic State, says 175 terrorists killed

The DHQ said the operations destroyed several Islamic State checkpoints, weapons storage facilities, logistics hubs, military equipment and financial structures used to sustain terrorist activities.

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has announced that ongoing joint counterterrorism operations between Nigerian forces and the United States Africa Command have resulted in the killing of 175 Islamic State terrorists in the North-east, the epicentre of an insurgency in Nigeria.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the spokesperson for the DHQ, Samaila Uba, said the coordinated strikes, which commenced a few days ago, had inflicted significant damage on terrorist networks operating in the region.

Last Saturday, US President Donald Trump announced that a US-Nigeria joint operation killed an Islamic State commander, Abubakar Mainok, also known as Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki.

President Bola Tinubu confirmed the killing of the terror kingpin, saying he was killed alongside his foot soldiers on the Lake Chad island.

Subsequent reports by the military stated that Mr Mainok was killed by troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), a joint task force in the North-east, and the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), at Metele, a border community in Borno State near the Niger Republic.

However, many Nigerians raise concerns about the terror leader’s killing, referencing previous reports where the military claimed to have killed the same man in 2024.

In response, both the DHQ and the presidency released contradictory statements, defending the recent operation, and explaining why the man was reported dead two years ago. While the presidency said it was a case of mistaken identity, the DHQ said that such names adopted by Mr Mainok are commonly used as aliases among terrorists.

The update

According to Tuesday’s statement, the operations destroyed several Islamic State checkpoints, weapons storage facilities, logistics hubs, military equipment and financial structures used to sustain terrorist activities.

Reemphasising that Mr Mainok was among those killed, it noted that his death had “severely disrupted ISIS command, operational coordination and external attack networks.”

The DHQ identified other senior terrorist figures reportedly killed during the strikes as Abd-al Wahhab, identified as an ISWAP leader responsible for coordinating attacks and propaganda distribution; Abu Musa al-Mangawi, another senior ISWAP member; and Abu al-Muthanna al-Muhajir, said to be the manager of the group’s media production team and a close associate of Mr Mainok.

The Defence Headquarters said the operations reinforced the Armed Forces of Nigeria’s longstanding commitment to tracking and eliminating terrorists across the country.

“The joint operations will continue to hunt down and destroy those who threaten our nation and regional stability,” the statement added.