US withdraws most troops from Nigeria after joint operation against ISIS leader

The United States has withdrawn most of its troops deployed to Nigeria for a joint counterterrorism operation in the Lake Chad Basin, while maintaining intelligence-sharing and other security cooperation with the Nigerian government.

 

The Commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe–Air Forces Africa, Gen. Dagvin R.M. Anderson, disclosed this during a digital press briefing on the outcome of the African Chiefs of Defence Conference 2026.

 

According to Anderson, the deployment achieved its objective, but the U.S. will continue to support Nigeria through intelligence collaboration at the request of the Nigerian government.

 

“That operation in the Lake Chad Basin of Nigeria not only helped the countries in that immediate region; it also helps countries globally as that disrupts the ISIS network,” he said.

 

“We have withdrawn much of our forces that were just there for that operation, but we are continuing the partnership that Nigeria has asked for to help continue with the intelligence sharing and the understanding that’s necessary to prosecute these difficult tasks.”

 

The U.S. commander described Nigeria as a capable security partner with a strong military and said intelligence cooperation between both countries contributed to a successful operation against the second-in-command of the Islamic State (ISIS/Daesh).

 

According to him, U.S. intelligence support, combined with Nigerian military operations, led to the killing of a senior ISIS leader responsible for the group’s global operations, media and recruitment activities.

 

Anderson said the operation demonstrated the effectiveness of intelligence sharing over prolonged foreign military deployments.

 

He also called for stronger intelligence cooperation among African countries to combat terrorism, drug trafficking and other transnational crimes.

 

The U.S. general cited the recent interception of a record 31-tonne cocaine shipment along the West African coast as an example of successful international intelligence collaboration involving AFRICOM, U.S. agencies and partner nations.

 

The United States deployed about 200 military personnel to Nigeria in February 2026 to support intelligence, surveillance and counterterrorism operations in the Lake Chad Basin.

 

The partnership culminated in May 2026 with the reported killing of Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, identified as the second-in-command of ISIS, during a joint U.S.-Nigerian operation in Borno State.