US withdraws most troops from Nigeria after Islamic State mission

The United States has withdrawn most of the troops it deployed to Nigeria earlier this year for a joint operation against Islamist militant groups in the Lake Chad Basin. The move follows months of cooperation with Nigerian forces and comes after the two sides said the mission had significantly weakened Islamic State leadership in the country. Senior Islamic State figure Abu-Bilal al-Minuki was killed during the operation, according to the supplied report.

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The deployment began after joint strikes in December, including attacks on Christmas Day, and was followed by the arrival of about 200 US soldiers two months later. On Thursday, the US said the operation had been successful and that Islamic State leadership in Nigeria had been significantly degraded. Nigeria's military spokesperson, Maj-Gen Michael Onoja, said the withdrawal would not affect the country's momentum, while both sides said intelligence-sharing would continue.

The operation took place in the Lake Chad Basin, a long-running centre of militant activity affecting Nigeria and neighbouring states. Despite the latest military action, jihadist groups continue to carry out attacks, especially in north-eastern Nigeria. The US military also said the joint mission had disrupted both the local command structure of Islamic State and its wider global network, limiting the group's ability to operate.

The development matters because it marks a shift in the level of direct US military presence in Nigeria while leaving intelligence cooperation in place. It also comes against a backdrop of persistent insecurity in the north-east, where armed groups have remained active despite repeated counter-insurgency efforts. The report says around 90% of Islamic State attacks now take place in sub-Saharan Africa, with Nigeria-based branches among the most active.

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Military cooperation between Nigeria and the US increased after Washington accused Nigerian authorities of not doing enough to protect vulnerable groups against Islamist militants and alleged a Christian genocide in the country. Nigeria has rejected that claim, saying the violence is complex and affects people from all communities. Organisations monitoring political violence in Nigeria say most victims of jihadist groups are Muslims because the militants mainly operate in the north, where most residents are Muslim.

What remains unclear is how far the withdrawal will change operational support on the ground, beyond the confirmed continuation of intelligence-sharing. The report does not say whether any US personnel remain in Nigeria or whether further deployments are planned. The key issue to watch is whether the reduced US footprint affects the pace of counter-insurgency operations as attacks continue in the north-east.

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