Nigeria and the United States have carried out fresh strikes against ISIS extremist militants in northwest Nigeria, the US military said on Monday. The strikes were conducted on Sunday, US Africa Command (Africom) said in a statement. "Intelligence confirmed the targets were ISIS militants. Complete assessments are ongoing. No US or Nigerian forces were harmed," it said. The new strikes came two days after the United States and Nigeria announced that a joint operation in the west African country killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, an ISIS leader described as the group's second-in-command worldwide who has been under US sanctions since 2023, reported AFP. Northern Nigeria has faced the double threat of attacks from extremist groups allied to ISIS and from criminal gangs that stalk villages and carry out mass kidnappings. The insecurity had drawn criticism from US President Donald Trump who said Nigeria's Christians were being persecuted. The Nigerian government has rejected the claim, insisting that Christians and Muslims were equally the victims of the violence.
