US disclosure on neutralised 199 jihadists refers to May operation – DHQ

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has clarified that recent comments by the United States on the killing of 199 jihadists in Nigeria and the recovery of ISIS-linked weapons and electronic equipment do not refer to a new military operation.

Rather, the DHQ said the information released by US officials represents the declassification of details from a previously executed joint Nigeria–US counter-terrorism mission conducted in May 2026.

Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, said the operation had already been publicly acknowledged by Nigerian authorities, adding that the latest disclosures were based on information that had previously been 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 follows comments by US Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council, Dr Sebastian Gorka, who described the mission as one of the most significant counter-terrorism operations carried out under the current US administration.

Gorka also highlighted the scale of intelligence recovered during the operation: “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.

He further said the intelligence would be used to strengthen efforts against ISIS-linked networks, adding: “We are not watching and waiting. We are dealing death to bad people.” Gorka also noted that extremist groups continue to exploit ungoverned spaces in parts of Africa, particularly in the Sahel region, to regroup and expand operations.

According to him, ongoing cooperation between the US and Nigeria remains central to counter-terrorism efforts, following the establishment of a Joint Working Group on Security after high-level engagements between both countries in late 2025.