Joint air strikes by Defence Headquarters and United States Africa Command have killed more than 20 Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters in Borno State, according to Channels Television.

The military said the coordinated operation targeted terrorist hideouts around Metele after intelligence reports revealed the movement and gathering of insurgents in the area.

In a statement issued on Monday, Director of Defence Information Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba said the strikes were part of an intensified campaign to weaken terrorist networks, destroy operational bases and stop fighters from regrouping.

He said surveillance operations had detected a fresh convergence of insurgents, prompting what he described as calculated air assaults that neutralised dozens of fighters.

According to the statement, the offensive is part of sustained counterterrorism efforts aimed at flushing militants out of their enclaves, disrupting planned attacks and restoring security in affected communities across the North-East.

Uba said the Armed Forces would continue operations to defend Nigeria’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty.

He added that terrorists threatening citizens and communities would be tracked down and defeated, insisting there would be no safe haven for insurgents anywhere in the country.

The operation comes days after Donald Trump and Bola Tinubu confirmed the killing of a senior ISIS commander, Al-Minuki, during another joint mission involving Nigerian and American forces.

Trump described the slain commander as one of the world’s most dangerous terrorists, claiming he was regarded as ISIS’ second-in-command globally and had believed Africa would shield him from capture.

Channels Television said the latest strikes mark a continued expansion of military cooperation between Nigeria and the US in ongoing efforts to tackle insurgency in the North-East.