Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said U.S. forces have killed “hundreds” of Islamic State militants in Nigeria, crediting President Donald Trump’s directive to protect Christians in the country from Islamist violence. During a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Wednesday, Hegseth said Trump charged the military with taking steps to protect Nigerian Christians roughly a year ago after learning of their targeting by the Islamic State terror group. Building the partnerships necessary to carry out such a mission took time, the secretary said, but the president remained persistent, and the right assets were eventually put in place.
“And over the last month, and there hasn’t been much coverage of this, we killed ISIS No. 2 in Nigeria, who is most responsible for killing Christians and trying to target the U.S. homeland, and have since because of the intel we gathered, killed hundreds of ISIS members who were targeting and killing Christians in Nigeria, creating a whole new opportunity there,” he said. The most significant action came on May 16, when U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) announced that U.S. forces had conducted an operation against Islamic State (also known as ISIS or IS) elements in northeastern Nigeria. AFRICOM’s initial assessment found that Abu-Bilal al-Minuk, whom Hegseth identified as the group’s No. 2 commander and director of global operations, had been killed along with other senior Islamic State leaders. No U.S. service members were harmed. AFRICOM commander Air Force Gen. Dagvin Anderson said the operation was made possible through U.S.-Nigeria cooperation over recent months.
“Make no mistake, our two nations will relentlessly pursue and neutralize terrorist threats and are committed to protecting our people and interests,” Anderson said. Africa Command, in coordination with the Nigerian government, conducted additional strikes against Islamic State targets in Northeastern Nigeria on May 17 and 18.
I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ John 1:33
The US Food and Drug Administration has cleared Roche and partner Eli Lilly’s blood test to help identify signs of Alzheimer’s disease in people age 55 and…
Melati, a 20-year-old Sumatran tiger and longtime resident of the Dallas Zoo, has been euthanized after age-related health problems began to impact her quality of life, officials…
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A dean at Rutgers University was arrested for allegedly recording “upskirt” videos while working for the school, according to New Jersey prosecutors. Joshua Kohut, 51, is being…
Exactly one year ago, Democratic Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed publicly rejected calls for peace and said, “We take them to the mud and choke them out.”…
At least 14 newborn babies died Wednesday morning in one of Pakistan’s deadliest hospital fires in recent decades. The fire broke out inside the maternity ward at…
Knox County, Tennessee, Mayor Glenn Jacobs told Flock Safety that a contract with the county sheriff was no longer valid, placing the future of over 140 cameras…
The cause of death for beloved singer, philanthropist, and actress Dolly Parton at the age of 80 was revealed on Tuesday. Reps for Parton confirmed to Page…
“The greatest battles of faith are not fought in moments of crisis, but in the quiet, exhausting choice to keep doing good when nothing seems to change.”…
DeKalb County health officials have confirmed another mosquito trap in the county has tested positive for West Nile virus. The latest confirmed positive test came from a…
A West Virginia man caught a record-breaking pumpkinseed sunfish, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources announced. Robert Glover caught a record-breaking pumpkinseed sunfish, the West Virginia…
Health authorities are asking residents in DeKalb County to watch their pets after a dead bat tested positive for rabies. Authorities say the bat was found in…
Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher is putting young people with potential gang connections on notice days before the start of the 2026 Minnesota State Fair. Fletcher tells…
It was a battle of will and skill when anglers off the coast of Massachusetts hauled in what is likely a record-breaking Atlantic blue marlin. The fish…
Police in Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania, say an aggressive coyote has been shot and killed after attacking a dog. In a social media post Friday afternoon, Cheltenham police…
A fast-growing wildfire spread from the Sierra foothills toward the center of Reno early Sunday, as approximately 90,000 residents were urged to evacuate. The fire has been…
A bat found in Livingston County, Michigan, has tested positive for rabies, the local health department said on Thursday. Officials said the finding marks the first rabies…
Thanks to the drought, bears are showing up places they never have before. It’s a message wildlife experts have been saying for months, and while some Colorado…
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Colorado Parks and Wildlife says two people were recently injured in separate bear attacks in the high country. On Tuesday, a bear reportedly entered a home in…
Firefighters in Crested Butte said that a house fire was started by a bear after the animal got inside the private residence. The Crested Butte Fire Protection…
You can scroll for an hour and still feel empty, because not everything that captures your attention deserves your heart. If something can control your attention for…
Police are directing traffic and the Grand Prairie hazmat unit is on the scene after at least 10 railcars derailed in Mansfield on Thursday evening, officials said.…
The extreme heat in North Texas is straining electrical equipment and causing scattered power outages across several Dallas neighborhoods. More than a dozen residents in the Kessler…
A bear swiped at a man and scratched his arm on Monday. That’s according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials, who said it happened in the afternoon…
ISIS-supporting ex-National Guard member Mohamed Bailor Jalloh shouted “Allahu Akbar” before launching his deadly attack at Old Dominion University on Thursday, federal officials revealed.
California lawmakers are expected to pass a new law ending child marriage within the state. Currently, California is one of three states that allow children of any age to get married if a parent or guardian signs off. The bill passing through the legislature would end underage marriage with no exceptions. “So many survivors of…
Wildlife activists on Thursday named the new eagle that has been spotted following Shadow through Big Bear’s treetops and skies. “Generally, Friends of Big Bear Valley does not give names to nest visitors unless they have been around long-term…until now,” the Friends of Big Bear Valley wrote in a Facebook post. FOBBV chose the name…
Thunderstorms return to the Chicago area on Friday. Most of the morning remains dry, but by lunchtime, scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected to move into the Chicago area. Storms could be severe, with a level 2 out of 5; a slight risk is in place. Damaging winds up to 60-65 miles per hour and…
At the request of the Alaska State Troopers, Alaska Air National Guardsmen of the 176th Wing rescued an injured hiker from steep terrain in the Hatcher Pass area, approximately 40 miles north of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Aug. 18. When the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center received the request for assistance, an HH-60W Jolly Green II aircrew…
Dozens of animals are beginning new lives after being rescued from a Twin Cities home last month. Twenty-nine cats and a dog were seized from the home of a 68-year-old Brooklyn Park woman. Investigators got a search warrant after years of complaints, some dating as far back as 2001. According to a criminal complaint, the…
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The Food and Drug Administration upgraded a recall of frozen blueberries and mixed berries sold at Publix grocery stores across the U.S. to the highest health risk level on Tuesday, according to an enforcement report. Publix on July 29 announced a recall of four varieties of frozen GreenWise organic blueberries and mixed berries sold at…
Nine days after the storm that was to blame for it all, tens of thousands of people yet again woke up without power in Northwest Indiana on Thursday. In Gary, NIPSCO said the power won’t be back on until next week. Things really came to a boiling point for some people in Gary in the…
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Five kittens were rescued from a house fire after crews responded within minutes on Monday to a single family home on East 5th Avenue, according to the Spokane Fire Department (SFD). Crews were first dispatched around 4:46 p.m. to the 2100 block of East 5th Avenue following a report from a neighbor who observed smoke coming…
For South Windsor resident Jessica Waterhouse, caring for animals is her life passion. Five years ago, she opened an animal sanctuary and recently three “very special” puppies were delivered to her doorstep from thousands of miles away. Waterhouse, whose son serves in the U.S. Army and is currently deployed to the Middle East, said a…
Eighty-one dogs were rescued from horrific conditions at a home in Kansas City, Kansas, over the weekend. Dogs of all ages were found with their fur matted and caked in their own urine and feces. When Kansas City Animal Services saw the severity of the situation, they called for backup. Volunteers from Pawsitive Tails Dog…
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Nine young men are safe after getting lost and eventually being rescued while hiking in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge over the weekend. They had traveled from northwest Indiana looking for a quick getaway after severe storms hit their area. Members of the search-and-rescue team who helped save the friends say the area is extremely treacherous…
An otter hit by a car in Vacaville on Friday is expected to recover after being treated for head trauma, a local wildlife rescue said. The animal was struck near Leisure Town Road and Foxborough Road, an area Solano Wildlife Rescue and Education Center says is known for otters being hit by vehicles. “There are…
You may think of flag football as something for boys, but a former NFL player hosted an all-girls clinic Sunday at Bishop Lynch High School in Dallas. Girlpower Flag Football Dallas is a program for girls ages five through 18. About 100 girls of all experience levels were expected to attend the clinic. Former St.…
A Hilton Head Island lifeguard saved a beach-goer’s dog Thursday morning. Lifeguard Otávio Cunha from Hilton Head’s Shore Beach Service swam 60 yards to rescue the K-9, according to a Facebook post from the organization. The unfortunate dog swam after a flock of birds near the Alder Lane beach access, according to the post. Shore…
A 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck eastern Indonesia on Saturday killed at least 38 people, a disaster management official said, revising an earlier toll. A second, 6.4-magnitude quake struck the country’s western Sumatra island laterm according to the U.S. Geological Survey. “Thirty-eight people have been confirmed dead, two were seriously injured, 11 sustained minor injuries, and…
The Colorado Cherry Company, a Colorado staple, offers pies so legendary that even bears want a taste. This week a young bear broke into the Colorado Cherry Company’s location on Highway 36 north of Lyons to chow down on a blueberry pie. Colorado Cherry Company Surprisingly, it’s not the first time this has happened. Back…
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