US confirms joint operation with Nigeria killed ISIS number two leader

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has confirmed that American and Nigerian security forces conducted a joint operation that eliminated the second-highest leader of global ISIS, who was operating from inside Nigeria.

Rubio made the disclosure while speaking on US foreign policy and international security cooperation. He said the operation took place "a couple weeks ago"—placing it around mid-May 2026—and described the counterterrorism partnership with Nigeria as ongoing.

According to Rubio, concerns about violence affecting Christian communities in Nigeria helped drive deeper security engagement between both countries. "On Nigeria, where many were very concerned about violence against Christians, we are now actively in counterterrorism cooperation with the Nigerian government and Nigerian security forces," he said.

The disclosure confirms that Nigeria is not just battling local insurgencies like Boko Haram and ISWAP, but also serves as an operating base for top-tier global ISIS leadership. This raises serious questions about the scale of the terrorist infrastructure embedded within the country's borders.

Nigeria has been at the forefront of counterterrorism in West Africa, confronting multiple extremist networks across the Lake Chad Basin and the Sahel. This US acknowledgment reinforces Nigeria's strategic role in regional security—but it also means the threat level inside Nigeria may be more severe than many citizens realise.

The identity of the eliminated ISIS leader was not disclosed. Details about the location of the operation within Nigeria also remain unclear.

Does knowing that a top global ISIS leader was operating from inside Nigeria change your assessment of domestic security risks in your area?

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/06/04/us-confirms-joint-operation-with-nigeria-against-isis-leader/