The United States has disclosed that a joint counterterrorism operation with Nigerian forces in Borno State in May yielded what it described as the largest cache of terrorist electronic intelligence recovered since the September 11, 2001 attacks, following the recent declassification of details of the mission.
The disclosure was made by White House Senior Director for Counterterrorism Sebastian Gorka during an interview with PragerU, in which he said the operation resulted in the deaths of 199 jihadist fighters and the recovery of a vast quantity of electronic devices and intelligence materials linked to the Islamic State (ISIS). According to Gorka, the volume of material seized was so extensive that an additional aircraft was required to transport it for analysis.
Gorka said intelligence specialists are examining the recovered electronic equipment to identify ISIS communications, logistics and operational networks, describing the haul as three times larger than any enemy electronics cache recovered by the United States since the 9/11 attacks.
The operation, carried out on May 16 in coordination with the Armed Forces of Nigeria, also killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, whom the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) identified as ISIS’s director of global operations and the group’s second-in-command. AFRICOM said multiple senior ISIS leaders were also killed and that no U.S. service members were injured during the mission.
Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said the latest U.S. disclosure does not relate to a new military operation but to the declassification of information from the successful joint mission conducted in May. According to the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, the Nigerian military had already announced the operation shortly after it was carried out, while additional operational details remained classified until now.
The clarification followed reports suggesting the operation was a fresh offensive. DHQ said military cooperation between Nigeria and the United States remains active, particularly in intelligence sharing and counterterrorism operations targeting extremist groups in northeastern Nigeria.
The United States and Nigeria have strengthened defence and security cooperation in recent months as both countries intensify efforts against the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and other extremist groups operating in the Lake Chad Basin. The insurgency has affected communities in northeastern Nigeria and neighbouring countries, including Chad, Niger and Cameroon, for more than a decade.
Nigerian authorities have confirmed the joint operation and the declassification of additional details but have emphasised that the latest U.S. announcement relates to an operation previously conducted and reported.
