The United States military's Africa Command (AFRICOM) announced additional airstrikes against Islamic State (ISIS) fighters in northeastern Nigeria, conducted in coordination with the Nigerian government.

The "additional kinetic" strikes occurred on Sunday, AFRICOM said in a statement Monday, adding that no US or Nigerian forces were harmed. "The removal of these terrorists diminishes the group's capacity to plan attacks that threaten the safety and security of the US and our partners," the statement read.

The US attack came two days after the presidents of both countries announced the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as the second-in-command of ISIS. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu said Saturday that al-Minuki was targeted "along with several of his lieutenants" in a strike on his compound in the Lake Chad Basin.

US President Donald Trump first announced the killing in a social media post on Friday without disclosing when or where the joint operation occurred. Al-Minuki, a former prominent Boko Haram leader, pledged allegiance to ISIS in 2015 and oversaw key operations in the Sahel and West Africa for the ISIS affiliate in West Africa Province (ISWAP).

Dennis Amachree, former director of the US Department of State Services in Nigeria, told Al Jazeera that al-Minuki's killing "is going to create a huge vacuum in the leadership and financing of ISWAP as many top officers were decimated with him."

The latest wave of US-Nigeria coordinated attacks comes as dozens of US soldiers have been deployed to Nigeria in recent months to help fight armed groups, engage in intelligence sharing, and provide technical support. Nigerian Defense Headquarters spokesman Samaila Uba said US soldiers will not play a direct combat role but will share technical expertise under Nigerian command.

Last Christmas, US forces launched airstrikes on ISIS-affiliated fighters in northwestern Nigeria. Asked if this was part of a broader campaign, Trump told The New York Times: "I'd love to make it a one-time strike. But if they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike." The Nigerian government rejected Trump's accusation of mass killings of Christians, with analysts noting that people of all faiths are victims of armed groups.

Source: www.aljazeera.com