The US is preparing to withdraw about 200 troops from Nigeria who were deployed this year to help fight Islamist militants, the New York Times reports.
The withdrawal, expected by late September, comes after months of joint operations between U.S. and Nigerian forces, including intelligence-sharing missions, special forces training and counterterrorism operations targeting extremist groups in the country.
American and Nigerian officials told the New York Times that the relatively small deployment to Nigeria had outsized results.
Small teams of trainers and intelligence analysts are, however, expected to remain after the larger contingent leaves by late September, according to the NYT report published on Thursday, August 27, citing US military officials.
The report noted that American officials described the deployment of troops in Nigeria as a model for future operations in Africa, arguing that the relatively small force achieved significant results, including the k!lling of Abu Bilal al-Minuki, a top Islamic State figure, during a joint U.S.-Nigerian raid in May.
The troops were deployed to northeastern Nigeria in February 2026 after U.S. President Donald Trump criticised Nigeria’s handling of terrorist violence, particularly attacks affecting Christian communities.
Last month, Dagvin Anderson, commander of US Africa Command (AFRICOM), announced that the US had pulled back many of its troops in Nigeria following the May operation that k!lled Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, the second-in-command of ISIS, in the Lake Chad Basin.
Anderson said the operation significantly degraded ISIS’ leadership in Nigeria and globally.
Despite those successes, militant attacks have continued across Nigeria, with armed groups carrying out deadly assaults in recent weeks.