President Donald Trump announced that Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as ISIS’s second-in-command globally, was killed in an operation carried out by US and Nigerian forces.
On Truth Social, Trump said the mission was ordered by him and credited ‘‘brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria’’ for executing a ‘‘meticulously planned and very complex’’ operation to remove ‘‘the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield.’’ He added that al-Minuki ‘‘thought he could hide in Africa’’ but that US sources kept track of his activities. Trump did not specify the exact location of the strike.
Al-Minuki, a Nigerian national, was designated a ‘‘specially designated global terrorist’’ by the Biden administration in 2023, according to the US Federal Register.
Trump thanked the Nigerian government for its partnership. Nigerian authorities have previously rejected accusations that they discriminate against any religion, saying their security forces target armed groups that attack both Christians and Muslims.
The announcement comes after earlier US strikes against Islamic State-linked militants in Nigeria in December. Since then, Washington has deployed drones and about 200 troops to the region to provide training and intelligence support to the Nigerian military as Islamic State and al Qaeda-linked insurgencies have expanded across parts of West Africa.
Nigerian military officials have said US personnel are operating in a strictly non-combat role, providing intelligence and training rather than engaging directly in fighting.
Details about the operation, including its precise timing and location, have not been disclosed by US or Nigerian officials. Independent verification of al-Minuki’s death was not provided in the announcement.
