Breaking: Defence Headquarters Nigeria Confirms 175 ISIS Militants Killed In Joint Strike with U.S. Forces

This was disclosed on Tuesday in a statement issued by the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) through the Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Samaila Uba.

According to the DHQ, latest operational assessments as of May 19, 2026, confirmed that 175 ISIS fighters were neutralised through sustained ground and air offensives in Nigeria’s North-East region.

The statement added that the joint operations also led to the destruction of terrorist checkpoints, weapons storage facilities, logistics bases, military assets, and financial networks used to support insurgent activities.

It further revealed that several top-ranking terrorist commanders were eliminated, including Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as a key ISIS operative with global influence.

The DHQ said the coordinated operation between Nigerian forces and the United States Africa Command has recorded significant successes in the ongoing fight against terrorism in the region.

According to the statement, “As of May 19, 2026, assessments indicate that 175 ISIS militants have been eliminated from the battlefield through sustained joint strikes conducted over the past few days.”

It added that the strikes destroyed ISIS checkpoints, weapons stockpiles, logistics hubs, equipment, and financial structures used to sustain terrorist operations.

The military explained that Abu-Bilal al-Minuki played a strategic role in ISIS external operations, overseeing financing, recruitment, logistics, and planning of attacks targeting civilians in Nigeria and beyond.

His death, the DHQ said, represents a major setback to ISIS command structure and its global operational network.

Other terrorists reportedly killed include Abd-al Wahhab, an ISWAP commander involved in attack coordination and propaganda, Abu Musa al-Mangawi, a senior ISWAP figure, and Abu al-Muthanna al-Muhajir, a senior media operations manager and close associate of al-Minuki.