Latest: US troops exit Nigeria after anti‑IS action
The U.S. has just left most of the soldiers it set up in Nigeria. The move follows a joint operation with Nigerian forces that struck into the Lake Chad Basin, hitting the island of the Islamic State and killing a key commander.
In December, U.S. and Nigerian troops launched a Christmas‑day strike. Two months later, about 200 U.S. soldiers were deployed to support the patrols. The operation’s end came after the death of IS senior leader Abu‑Bilal al‑Minuki.
Soldiers in the region say the pull‑back will not slow their campaign. Major General Samaila Uba told the BBC the U.S. military will still be in Nigeria, but not fighting on the ground. Intelligence‑sharing between the two countries is set to continue.
Despite the successes, jihadist attacks still erupt in the north‑east, while banditry spreads from the north into central and southern areas. The U.S. says the IS group’s local command structure and wider global network were seriously disrupted, reducing their ability to coordinate.
Nigerian officials reject claims of a “Christian genocide” in the country, insisting the violence is complex and affects all communities in a country where most people in the north are Muslim.
