The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has clarified that recent comments by the United States regarding 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.
According to the DHQ, the information released by US officials concerns a joint Nigeria–US counter-terrorism operation conducted in May 2026 and does not indicate any fresh military action.
Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, said the operation had already been publicly acknowledged by Nigerian authorities, explaining that the latest disclosures were based on information that was previously 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 followed remarks by Sebastian Gorka, the US Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council, who described the mission as one of the most significant counter-terrorism operations carried out under the current US administration.
Gorka highlighted the scale of intelligence recovered during the operation, saying the volume of electronic materials seized from terrorist camps was unprecedented.
“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 added that the intelligence gathered would support ongoing efforts to dismantle ISIS-linked networks.
“We are not watching and waiting. We are dealing death to bad people,” Gorka said.
The US official also noted that extremist groups continue to exploit ungoverned spaces across parts of Africa, particularly the Sahel region, to regroup and expand their activities.
According to him, continued security cooperation between the United States and Nigeria remains critical to counter-terrorism efforts, especially following the establishment of a Joint Working Group on Security after high-level engagements between both countries in late 2025.
