….Helicopters, SEAL Team 6 Among Forces Deployed In Operation
…Forces Recover Devices Linked To Terror Financing Network
Daud Olatunji
It was meant to be a quiet night over the Lake Chad Basin, but within minutes, the darkness erupted into a coordinated storm of rotor blades, gunfire, and precision strikes.
In a rare joint military operation stretching across international command lines, Nigerian and United States special forces battled ISIS fighters for over three hours, culminating in the death of a top jihadist commander whose networks had long unsettled security agencies across Africa.
… A Raid Years In The Making
Emerging details have revealed that the elimination of ISIS deputy leader, Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, was not a spontaneous encounter but a carefully planned helicopter-borne assault involving elite special operations units from Nigeria and the United States.
According to military sources cited in international reports, the mission deployed roughly two dozen commandos, including operatives linked to the US Navy’s SEAL Team 6, into the volatile islands scattered across the Lake Chad Basin — a known stronghold of jihadist activity.
The objective was clear: capture Al-Minuki alive. But the operation took a dramatic turn.
… Fire, Fury, A Shift In Tactics
The assault reportedly began under the cover of night, with helicopters inserting troops close to suspected militant positions. What followed was an intense exchange of fire lasting more than three hours between the joint task force and about three dozen ISIS fighters.
Security officials disclosed that Al-Minuki initially resisted capture, forcing commanders to revise the mission’s rules of engagement. Rather than risk a breakout or escape into the labyrinthine islands of the basin, US forces authorized a targeted air strike on his compound.
He was killed in the strike alongside several of his lieutenants.
No casualties were recorded on the side of the Nigerian or US forces — a detail military analysts describe as a rare operational success in such a high-risk environment.
…Inside The Lake Chad War Zone
The operation unfolded within the broader Lake Chad region, a vast and porous water system shared by Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. The area has become a long-standing theatre of insurgency involving ISIS-linked factions and other jihadist groups.
Lake Chad has, in recent years, evolved into a complex battleground where armed groups exploit islands, waterways, and marshlands to evade conventional military pursuit.
Officials said Al-Minuki and his fighters had established a fortified presence on two small islands, using the terrain as both shield and escape route.
…Global Intelligence Footprint
The mission, beyond its kinetic success, is now being viewed as an intelligence windfall. Electronic devices recovered from the site — including mobile phones, laptops, and encrypted storage systems — are undergoing forensic analysis.