The U.S. military carried out strikes on Islamic State militants in Nigeria late last week and over the weekend, according to U.S. Africa Command statements published in the days following the two separate operations. (U.S. Africa Command)
STUTTGART, Germany — The U.S. military carried out renewed strikes Sunday on Islamic State militants in Nigeria, where American forces recently carried out a separate operation against the group’s senior leadership.
The latest attacks were coordinated with the Nigerian government, AFRICOM said in a statement Monday. It released black-and-white overhead footage showing airstrikes targeting what appear to be several individuals riding bicycles.
“Intelligence confirmed the targets were ISIS militants. Complete assessments are ongoing,” AFRICOM said, adding that no U.S. troops were injured in the mission.
In a follow-up post on X, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the operation demonstrated that Islamic State militants cannot evade U.S. retaliation by operating in remote regions of Africa.
“Those who hurt Americans, plan to hurt Americans, or concoct despicable plots to harm innocent Christians, the United States of America will find you and kill you,” Parnell said.
In a separate operation Friday, U.S. and Nigerian forces said they killed a senior Islamic State leader and other top officials.
The mission was carried out on the orders of President Donald Trump. It targeted Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, the director of global operations for ISIS, along with other senior leaders, AFRICOM said Saturday.
Earlier this year, the U.S. dispatched about 200 troops to train Nigerian military forces battling Islamist militants. The arrival of U.S. forces in Nigeria came after Christmas Day airstrikes ordered by Trump against Islamic extremists in the country.
The security situation in Nigeria, particularly the north, has been in disarray for over a decade. Islamic militants from various groups have long been active there, and attacks have targeted both Christians and Muslims.
