U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as the second-in-command of ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) globally, had been killed during a joint operation carried out by American and Nigerian forces.
The operation was hailed by Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as “a significant example of effective collaboration in the fight against terrorism.”
Posting on Truth Social, Trump did not reveal the precise location of the mission but said: “Tonight, at my direction, brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and highly complex mission to eliminate the world’s most active terrorist from the battlefield. Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second-in-command of ISIS globally, believed he could hide in Africa, but we had sources tracking his movements and activities.”
In a statement shared on X, Tinubu said preliminary assessments confirmed the death of al-Minuki — also known as Abu Mainok — along with several of his lieutenants during a strike on his compound in the Lake Chad Basin.
Tinubu added that Nigerian forces worked closely with their U.S. counterparts in what he described as a daring joint operation that dealt a major blow to the Islamic State’s network in the region.
Al-Minuki, a Nigerian national, was designated a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” by the administration of former U.S. President Joe Biden in 2023, according to the U.S. Federal Register.
Trump, who has previously criticised Nigeria over attacks on Christians by Islamist militants in the country’s north-west, thanked the Nigerian government for its cooperation in the operation.
Nigeria has consistently denied allegations of religious discrimination, maintaining that its security forces target armed groups responsible for attacks on both Christians and Muslims.
The United States carried out strikes against Islamic State-linked militants in Nigeria in December. Since then, Washington has increased its military support by deploying drones and around 200 troops to assist Nigerian forces with training and intelligence operations aimed at countering Islamic State and al-Qaeda-linked insurgencies spreading across West Africa.
Nigerian military officials said earlier this year that U.S. personnel were operating strictly in non-combat roles.