DHQ explains fresh US claims on major anti-ISIS operation

The Defence Headquarters has clarified that the United States’ recent disclosure of a counter-terrorism operation in which 199 jihadists were killed was not linked to a fresh military offensive but to the declassification of information from a joint Nigeria-US mission conducted in May 2026.

Speaking on Monday, the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, said the Nigerian military had already informed the public about the operation shortly after it was carried out. He explained that the latest details released by US authorities had previously remained classified.

“This is not a new operation. We have previously communicated our highly successful joint operations in May. What you are hearing are some declassified information concerning our previous operation being given out now. However, Nigeria-US joint operations and collaboration are very much on course,” he said.

The clarification followed remarks by the US Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council, Dr Sebastian Gorka, who described the operation as one of the most successful counter-terrorism missions undertaken by the current US administration.

According to Gorka, the operation not only eliminated 199 jihadists but also led to the seizure of a substantial cache of ISIS weapons, ammunition and electronic devices. He said the volume of intelligence material recovered was unprecedented in recent years.

“We needed an extra plane to bring home all the electronic material that we captured in those camps. The haul was three times bigger than any enemy electronics haul since 9-11. That is priceless because now our experts are taking apart all of that information, looking at how ISIS is communicating with each other,” he stated.

Gorka said the recovered intelligence would assist security agencies in disrupting ISIS communication networks and tracking the group’s activities more effectively.

He added that Washington had shifted to a more aggressive approach in confronting terrorist organisations.

“We are not watching and waiting. We are dealing death to bad people,” he said.

Highlighting Africa’s strategic importance in the global fight against terrorism, Gorka warned that extremist groups continued to exploit poorly governed territories across the continent to rebuild their networks.

“Terrorists need ungoverned space. They need somewhere where they can hang out and rebuild. Africa has a lot of ungoverned space. That’s why I focus a lot of my attention on that region of the world where ISIS is trying to reconstitute a caliphate.”

The enhanced security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States gained momentum after National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu visited Washington in November 2025. The engagement resulted in the creation of a Joint Working Group on Security, paving the way for coordinated operations targeting terrorist strongholds in Nigeria’s North-East.