United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has disclosed that the US is working closely with Nigeria in ongoing counterterrorism operations aimed at combating ISIS and other extremist groups operating within the country.
Rubio made the revelation on Wednesday during a hearing before the House Foreign Affairs Committee in Washington, D.C., while discussing the State Department’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget proposal.
The US diplomat acknowledged growing concerns in the United States regarding violence against Christians in Nigeria and emphasized that Washington has strengthened its security cooperation with Nigerian authorities to address the threat.
According to Rubio, the partnership recently led to a successful joint operation that eliminated a top ISIS commander operating from within Nigeria.
“We are actively engaged in counterterrorism cooperation with the Nigerian government and security forces, including a joint operation carried out a few weeks ago that neutralized the second-highest-ranking global ISIS leader operating in the country,” he stated.
Rubio was referring to the May 15 operation that resulted in the death of Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, identified as the second-in-command of ISIS. The operation reportedly targeted his hideout in the Lake Chad Basin.
Also commenting on the development, Pete Hegseth said Al-Minuki played a major role in orchestrating attacks against Christian communities in Nigeria.
President Bola Tinubu had earlier confirmed the terrorist leader’s death, noting that several of his associates were also eliminated during the mission. The President expressed optimism that the success of the operation would pave the way for more decisive actions against terrorist strongholds.
Following Al-Minuki’s death, reports indicate that additional joint military operations have been carried out against terrorist positions across northeastern Nigeria.
The Defence Headquarters disclosed that more than 20 ISIS/ISWAP fighters were killed in coordinated Nigerian-US airstrikes in Metele, Borno State, shortly after the operation.
Similarly, on June 1, Nigerian forces working alongside the United States Africa Command reportedly carried out another successful strike in Arege, Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State, eliminating 21 suspected ISWAP fighters.
The latest developments underscore the growing security collaboration between Nigeria and the United States as both countries intensify efforts to dismantle terrorist networks and restore stability in affected regions.