Africa — 2026-07-04

US Withdraws Forces From Nigeria After ISIS Operation Killing Global Deputy Leader Maintains Intelligence Sharing

BLUFAbuja will likely avoid any public statement on the drawdown within 30 days, preserving a disclosure model that cedes narrative control to Washington while quietly absorbing US intelligence support.

AFRICOM Commander Gen. Dagvin Anderson said Thursday that the US has withdrawn most of the forces deployed for a joint operation with Nigeria in the Lake Chad Basin, while continuing intelligence sharing that Abuja has requested 1234. The May operation killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described by Anderson as ISIS's global second-in-command, and AFRICOM has said roughly 200 ISIS fighters died in the mission 2. Anderson did not specify troop numbers, withdrawal timing, or basing locations, and neither the Nigerian military nor its federal government had issued a statement on the drawdown as of Thursday 4. An AFRICOM spokesperson told Task & Purpose the US-Nigeria partnership "is ongoing and remains strong," with personnel levels fluctuating to meet requirements, and Anderson said Nigerian forces have continued prosecuting targets independently since May 2.

Analysis
Continued silence from Abuja likely reflects deliberate ambiguity over troop levels and mission scope rather than lack of information, and the drawdown shifts the operational center of gravity to intelligence sharing that leaves Washington reliant on Nigerian battlefield reporting for future targeting decisions. Nigeria's federal government is likely to withhold an official public statement on the drawdown within 30 days of Anderson's remarks, a posture that lets Abuja avoid domestic scrutiny of foreign troop presence while still absorbing US capabilities. High confidence rests on Nigeria's consistent pattern of routing disclosure through US officials rather than its own channels across the deployment's history.

5 sources

US withdrew forces from Nigeria after operation against ISIS AFRICOM chief says - Defense News
US withdraws combat troops from Nigeria after counterterrorism mission - Task & Purpose
US Withdraws Combat Troops from Nigeria, Maintains Intelligence Partnership - PRNigeria
AFRICOM commander announces partial withdrawal of US troops from Nigeria - Premium Times Nigeria
US withdrew forces from Nigeria after operation against ISIS, AFRICOM chief says - Reuters