The United States has withdrawn most of the troops deployed to Nigeria for a special operation against “Islamic State” (IS) fighters in May, but it continues to share intelligence with Nigerian forces, the US military has confirmed.
“We have withdrawn the majority of our forces that were there for that operation,” General Dagwin Anderson of US Africa Command (AFRICOM) said, speaking at a conference of African defense chiefs in Luanda, Angola, on Thursday.
“But [we] “We are continuing the partnership we have sought to help Nigeria continue to share the intelligence and understanding needed to be able to pursue these difficult tasks.”
What were American soldiers doing in Nigeria?
In May, US and Nigerian forces killed about 200 IS fighters in the Lake Chad region in the north-east of the country. The jihadist group’s global second in command, Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, was among those killed.
Nigerian Defense Minister Christopher Musa told AFP news agency that US combat troops were deployed specifically for the operation, which also disrupted IS’s wider communications and operations.
“They came in, they did this, did their job and left,” Moses said.
Anderson said the Nigerian military had remained “very active” since the operation, adding: “They continue to prosecute the targets themselves.”
About 200 non-combat U.S. troops also deployed to Nigeria earlier this year for extensive training and technical assistance. It was not immediately clear whether any of those removed were personnel.
Nigeria is battling IS insurgency
Nigeria has been battling an Islamic extremist insurgency in the country’s north-east since 2009, first by Boko Haram, then by its offshoot and rival, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Over the past year, the groups have stepped up attacks on villages, police stations and workers such as fishermen and loggers, as well as military bases, killing several senior military officers.
The increase in attacks prompted President Bola Tinubu to declare a nationwide state of emergency in 2025 and US President Donald Trump to threaten Nigeria with military intervention.
On Christmas Day, Trump ordered a US attack on terrorists, claiming they were targeting Christians in the country.
AFRICOM’s General Anderson was speaking on the sidelines of a three-day conference in Angola, which was attended by military leaders from 35 African countries as well as representatives from the US and Brazil.
Edited by: Shawn Sinico
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