July 4 (THEWILL) — The United States has withdrawn most of the troops it deployed to Nigeria for the operation that led to the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, the second-in-command of the Islamic State (ISIS) in the Lake Chad Basin, while retaining intelligence cooperation with Nigerian security agencies to support ongoing counterterrorism efforts.
General Dagvin Anderson, the Commander of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), confirmed the development during a press briefing in Luanda, Angola, at the close of the 2026 African Chiefs of Defence Conference.
According to Anderson, the temporary deployment of US personnel ended after the successful May operation that neutralised Al-Minuki, a senior ISIS figure said to have overseen the group’s global operations, propaganda machinery and recruitment activities.
He stressed, however, that the withdrawal does not signal an end to military cooperation between Washington and Abuja, noting that both countries will continue to collaborate through intelligence sharing and other strategic support requested by Nigeria.
The AFRICOM commander described the operation as a demonstration of how the United States works with African partners by supporting, rather than directing, local military operations.
Citing Nigeria as an example, Anderson said the country’s armed forces remained capable of leading complex counterterrorism missions, while benefiting from specialised intelligence support provided by the United States.
“Nigeria is a very capable and large country. It’s got a strong economy, a large, educated population and a very capable military”, he said.
He explained that years of US counterterrorism experience enabled both countries to integrate intelligence that ultimately led to the successful operation against Al-Minuki.
According to him, eliminating the ISIS deputy was significant not only for Nigeria and the Lake Chad region but also for global security because of the deceased commander’s influence within the terrorist organisation.
“That operation in the Lake Chad Basin of Nigeria not only helped the countries in that immediate region; it also helps countries globally, as that disrupts the ISIS network”, Anderson said.
He added that with the operation concluded, most of the American forces deployed specifically for the mission had returned home.
“We have withdrawn much of our forces that were just there for that operation, but are continuing the partnership that Nigeria has asked for to help continue with the intelligence sharing and the understanding that’s necessary to be able to prosecute these difficult tasks”, he stated.
Anderson further disclosed that the operation dealt a significant blow to ISIS’ leadership structure, weakening the group’s operational capacity in Nigeria and beyond.
He also commended Nigerian security forces for sustaining the momentum against terrorist groups since the May operation, saying they had remained “very active” in efforts to dismantle extremist networks and deny them the ability to regenerate their capabilities.
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