The United States (U.S.) has withdrawn most of the troops deployed to Nigeria for a special operation against Islamic State militants, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) Commander Gen. Dagvin Anderson said
The withdrawal follows a joint U.S.-Nigerian operation in the Lake Chad region in May that killed nearly 200 Islamic State fighters, including Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, whom U.S. officials identified as the group’s global second-in-command.
“We have withdrawn much of our forces that were just there for that operation, but are continuing the partnership that Nigeria has asked for to help continue with the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,” Anderson told reporters during a U.S. State Department-hosted briefing.
Nigerian Defense Minister Christopher Musa told AFP that U.S. combat troops deployed specifically for the May mission had completed their task and departed. “They came in, did that, did their work, and took off,” Musa said.
Musa said those troops were separate from roughly 200 U.S. noncombat personnel deployed earlier this year to provide training and technical assistance. It remains unclear whether the size of that broader mission has changed.
An AFRICOM spokesperson told AFP that the U.S. continues to maintain forces in Nigeria, adding that troop levels will “fluctuate as required to meet requirements.”
The May operation came months after President Donald Trump ordered a U.S. strike against Islamic State militants in Nigeria on Christmas Day, saying the group had been targeting Christians in the country.
Northeastern Nigeria has battled an Islamist insurgency since 2009, initially led by Boko Haram and later by its rival faction, Islamic State West Africa Province. The groups have intensified attacks over the past year, targeting villages, military bases, police stations and civilian workers.
The surge in attacks prompted Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to declare a nationwide state of emergency in 2025.
