Earlier this year, the United States announced it would send roughly 200 troops to assist Nigeria’s counter‑insurgency operations, emphasizing that its forces would not engage in direct ground combat.
On Thursday, General Dagvin Anderson, commander of U.S. Air Forces in Africa, reported that most of those personnel have now withdrawn, calling the operation a success and noting that Islamic State’s leadership in Nigeria has been “significantly degraded.”
Analysts observe that the militant group has shifted its focus, with about 90 % of its attacks now occurring in sub‑Saharan Africa, and its Nigerian affiliate remains the most active.
Anderson added that the joint effort disrupted both the group’s local command structure and its broader global network, hindering its ability to coordinate.
Despite the drawdown, U.S. military personnel who were already stationed in Nigeria prior to the Lake Chad Basin operation remain in the country, according to Major General Samaila Uba, a military spokesperson speaking to the BBC.
Nigeria continues to confront a range of security threats. In addition to Islamist insurgents, banditry and criminal violence persist, having spread from the north into parts of central and southern Nigeria.
