Marco Rubio has said the United States remains actively engaged in counterterrorism operations alongside Nigeria, highlighting ongoing collaboration between both countries in the fight against terrorism.
Speaking before the House Foreign Affairs Committee in Washington, D.C., during a hearing on the State Department’s fiscal year 2027 budget proposal, Rubio said the US government continues to support Nigerian security agencies through joint counterterrorism initiatives.
According to him, concerns remain over violent attacks against Christians in parts of Nigeria, prompting continued cooperation between both nations.
“We are now actively in counterterrorism cooperation with the Nigerian government and Nigerian security forces, including a joint operation a couple of weeks ago that took out the number two leader of global ISIS operating from inside of the country, and that continues,” he said.
The operation referenced by Rubio led to the death of Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, identified as ISIS’s second-in-command, during a joint US-Nigerian mission in the Lake Chad region on May 15.
Pete Hegseth had earlier described Al-Minuki as a key figure responsible for attacks against Christians in Nigeria.
President Bola Tinubu confirmed the operation, revealing that several of Al-Minuki’s associates were also killed during the strike. The president welcomed the development and expressed support for continued military action against terrorist groups.
Joint operations have reportedly continued since then. A few days after Al-Minuki’s death, Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters announced that more than 20 ISIS/ISWAP fighters were eliminated in coordinated airstrikes carried out in Metele, Borno State.
On June 1, another operation involving the Nigerian military and the United States Africa Command (US AFRICOM) reportedly resulted in the deaths of 21 ISWAP fighters in Arege, Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State.
The renewed cooperation underscores ongoing efforts by both countries to weaken terrorist networks operating in Nigeria and the wider Lake Chad Basin region.
