A joint operation by the United States and Nigeria against Islamic State fighters has killed 175 over the past few days, Nigeria’s military said on Tuesday, while the head of the US Africa Command said it showed the capabilities its forces could bring in Africa, home to the “epicentre of global terrorism”.
The US sent troops to Nigeria in February in what was deemed a mostly advisory and training role, but the joint operation signals more active involvement. The US Africa Command, or AFRICOM, confirmed the joint operation, saying no US or Nigerian troops were harmed.
The gains against Isis militants followed the killing last week of the deputy of the group’s West Africa chapter, Abu Bakr al-Mainuki, the first successful targeting of a senior militant in more than a decade of insurgency in Nigeria.
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Nigeria’s military on Tuesday reported the killing of another senior leader, Abd-al Wahhab, who it said was responsible for coordinating finance and attack planning and logistics.
Nigerian military spokesperson Samaila Uba said the strikes also destroyed weapons, checkpoints and financial networks of the militants across the country’s northeast.
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Militant groups like Boko Haram and its Isis splinter group operate across vast areas in addition to numerous criminal groups specialising in kidnapping for ransom, generally called “bandits”. The crisis has killed thousands of people, according to the United Nations.