Islamic State group — militant organization defeated through international military coalition operations in Iraq and targeted counterterrorism missions across West Africa and beyond.
… U.S. and Nigerian forces successfully executed a high-stakes operation in May that eliminated Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, a senior leader within the Islamic State West Africa Province. …
… Their armies have faced accusations of crimes against civilians, as violence has escalated in the region against jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. …
… Niger has been fighting an Islamist insurgency for a decade, and in January, an organisation linked to the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for an attack on the same airport. …
… The authorities have not yet commented and no group has said it was responsible but an affiliate to the Islamic State group said it had carried out January’s assault. …
… Yet the jihadist group now sits at the heart of an expanding belt of militants aligned with al Qaeda and Islamic State stretching 3,000 km (1,900 miles) across West Africa. …
The last British and American forces have departed Iraq, ending their military presence that began in 2014 as part of an international coalition to defeat the Islamic State group. The withdrawal follows a two-year-old agreement between the US and Iraqi government and brings Operation Inherent Resolve to a close, with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi marking it as Iraq's transition to assuming full responsibility for its own security.
The last British and American forces have departed Iraq, ending their military presence that began in 2014 as part of an international coalition to defeat the Islamic State group. The withdrawal follows a two-year-old agreement between the US and Iraqi government and brings Operation Inherent Resolve to a close, with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi marking it as Iraq's transition to assuming full responsibility for its own security.
Burkina Faso has inaugurated its first gold refinery as the military-led government seeks to process more of its mineral wealth at home and reduce reliance on exporting raw materials for processing abroad. Junta leader Ibrahim Traoré stated the aim is to refine all metals on site and develop a complete value chain within the country.
Ghana's state-owned fuel distributor BOST Energies has cut diesel and gasoline exports to Burkina Faso and Mali since August to prioritise domestic demand, managing director Afetsi Awoonor said. Global supply tightness driven by conflict in Ukraine and the Middle East has driven fuel prices to record highs and strained BOST's ability to meet export requests.
Nazira Haji Zada, an Afghan woman with US permanent residency living in Texas, was deported after choosing to leave rather than continue proceedings before the Alien Terrorist Removal Court—a secretive court created in 1996 but never used before July. Though she was never charged with a crime, prosecutors accused her of being the "matriarch" of a group and working to radicalize her family; her son and son-in-law were convicted of plotting a mass shooting inspired by the Islamic State.
Russia's African Corps assisted Nigerien forces in repelling a Saturday attempted coup in the capital Niamey, according to Moscow's foreign ministry. The rebellion was contained, and authorities say the situation is now under control of President Gen Abdourahmane Tiani.
A European Broadcasting Union investigation found that a 532-member WhatsApp group called "Traders of Greater Europe" was used to launder hundreds of millions of euros in cash for organized crime and extremism, including funding to Islamic State militants in Syria. The chat, which contained over 82,000 messages between February and December 2022, used the hawala transfer system to arrange cross-border cash transfers with no paper trail.
Niger's military ruler Abdourahamane Tiani's government reasserted control of a key airbase in Niamey after mutinous soldiers attacked on Saturday, amid broader jihadist insurgency challenges. The airbase hosts military aircraft, drones, a counter-terrorism unit of the Alliance of Sahel States, and Russian and Italian forces.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu ordered military and security agencies to launch an immediate rescue operation after gunmen kidnapped scores of people during an attack on a mosque in Niger State last week. An armed group posted video showing what residents said were about 600 women, children and older people abducted, though Reuters could not independently verify the figure; the incident highlights Nigeria's inability to protect swathes of the country where armed groups operate.
A $50 million ransom paid in late 2025 to free hostages seized by al Qaeda-linked militants in Mali has helped fund their advances across West Africa and the group's global network, according to a U.N. report. Three regional sources identified the United Arab Emirates as having made the payment, which distributed funds to fighters in the Sahel region and al Qaeda affiliates in Yemen and beyond.
Friedrich Merz's standing has been damaged by a fractious cabinet reshuffle that sparked anger in his CDU/CSU bloc, as his conservative party trails the far-right AfD in polls and faces state elections in September. Only 15% of Germans are satisfied with Merz's performance, and the AfD has overtaken his party on perceived competence.
Police shot and killed Abdul Ballout, a 21-year-old German citizen with Lebanese heritage, after he rushed at officers with a knife during a manhunt in Berlin. Ballout was suspected of driving a white van into a crowd near Tiergarten park on Saturday, killing one woman and injuring at least 29 others, followed by a stabbing attack; German authorities say the incident was likely an "Islamist terror attack."
The U.S. Department of Defence identified two American service members killed during Iranian strikes in Jordan over the weekend: 19-year-old Army Private Isabella Gonzales of Texas and 25-year-old First Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan of Hawaii. Both were supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S.-led mission against the Islamic State.
The United States has withdrawn most troops it deployed to Nigeria this year for a joint operation against Islamist militant groups in the Lake Chad Basin, during which a senior Islamic State leader was killed. Both the US and Nigeria say intelligence-sharing will continue, though jihadist attacks persist in north-eastern Nigeria.
The United States has withdrawn the majority of troops deployed to Nigeria following a joint counterterrorism operation against Islamic State extremists in the Lake Chad Basin. The mission eliminated a senior Islamic State West Africa Province leader and disrupted the group's command structure and international communications network.
Niger has submitted its formal withdrawal request from the ICC, nine months after announcing its intent to leave in September 2025 alongside Mali and Burkina Faso, calling the court an "instrument of neo-colonialist repression." The withdrawal takes effect one year after notification, with Niger remaining bound to the court's obligations until then.
Gunmen struck Niger's Diori Hamani International Airport in the capital Niamey on Thursday, killing 35 people comprising 22 assailants, 11 soldiers, and two civilians. Al-Qaeda affiliate JNIM claimed responsibility for the attack, the second on the airport in less than five months.
Explosions and gunfire lasting two hours were heard early Thursday at Diori Hamani international airport in Niger's capital, Niamey. Residents told the BBC the army repelled the attack and is pursuing fleeing assailants who abandoned weapons; no group has claimed responsibility and authorities have not yet commented.
Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), an al Qaeda-linked group controlling territory in Mali, has shifted toward less violent methods, focusing on collecting taxes on crops and livestock and distributing aid to the poor, rather than issuing threats as they did five years ago. The group has grown stronger since Mali's 2020 military coup led to the expulsion of French and U.N. forces and has demonstrated its power through coordinated attacks across the country.
President Bola Tinubu declared that Nigeria's security forces killed more than 13,000 insurgents over the past year and that insurgency-related deaths have dropped 81 per cent since he took power in 2023. He also noted that 124,000 fighters and dependents have laid down their arms since 2023 through Operation Safe Corridor.
At least 360 people kidnapped by Boko Haram from a community in Nigeria's Borno state in March have been freed from a remote mountain hideout, though the circumstances—military operation versus mediated release—are disputed, with local mediators claiming 416 were freed.
The WHO Director-General concluded his visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo by briefing President Felix Tshisekedi on the response to an Ebola outbreak that aid agencies warn is likely much larger than official figures. Health officials say the outbreak, already the third-largest on record, persisted undetected for weeks and responders are struggling to bring it under control.
The U.S. Africa Command says it has carried out additional airstrikes against Islamic State targets in northeastern Nigeria in coordination with the Nigerian government. The strikes killed more than 20 Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants in the Metele area of Borno State, following the joint U.S.-Nigerian mission a day earlier that killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as the second in command of Islamic State globally.
Nigeria and the United States say they have killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described by US President Donald Trump as the "second in command of ISIS globally," in a joint operation in the Lake Chad Basin. Al-Minuki was killed along with several of his lieutenants during a strike on his compound in Metele, Borno state, with Nigerian and US forces reporting zero casualties.
Africa's health agency has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo's eastern Ituri province, with around 246 cases and 80 deaths reported mainly in gold-mining towns. Uganda confirmed one imported case, with a 59-year-old male who died testing positive.
Nigeria and the United States say they have killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described by US President Donald Trump as the "second in command of ISIS globally," in a joint operation in the Lake Chad Basin. The strike on his compound in Metele, Borno state also killed several of his lieutenants, and the Nigerian military reported zero casualties among their forces.
Africa's top health agency has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo's eastern Ituri province, with around 246 cases and 65 deaths reported mainly in gold-mining towns of Mongwalu and Rwampara. This is the 17th outbreak of the deadly viral disease in the country.
Somalia's South West State held local council and parliamentary elections on May 10 using a "one person, one vote" system, with 15 political parties and 394 candidates (322 men, 72 women) running for parliament, and 18 parties with 1,297 candidates (1,022 men, 275 women) competing in local council races across 13 districts. The National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission described the elections as an important milestone for democratic participation, though observers have reported the imposition of unwanted candidates in some regions.
A coordinated assault by the CODECO militia in late April killed at least 69 people in northeastern DR Congo's Ituri province, reportedly in retaliation for an earlier attack by the Hema-affiliated CRP group. The violence reflects an ongoing ethnic conflict between the Lendu and Hema communities in the mineral-rich region.
Thirteen women and children with links to the Islamic State group arrived in Australia after years in a Syrian detention camp, with police saying some will be arrested and charged upon arrival.
Gunmen have killed at least 29 people in an attack on a village in Nigeria's north-eastern Adamawa state, with the Islamic State group claiming responsibility. Authorities say militants raided a football pitch and opened fire at random, then burned houses, places of worship and motorcycles, with the governor saying the attack was an 'affront to our humanity.'