US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that Abu Bilal al-Minuki, the second in command of ISIS globally, has been killed by American forces in a joint operation with Nigeria.
“Tonight, at my direction, brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission to eliminate the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
‘He thought he could hide in Africa’
Trump said that al-Minuki believed he could evade capture by hiding in Africa. “But little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing,” the president wrote.
“He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans. With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished,” Trump added.
Who was Abu Bilal al-Minuki?
Al-Minuki was born in Nigeria’s Borno state in 1982. He was designated a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the United States in 2023, along with another ISIS leader, Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rufay’i of the Iraq-based ISIS.
As the second-highest ranking official in ISIS globally, al-Minuki played a key role in planning terrorist operations across Africa and coordinating attacks targeting American interests.
Joint operation with Nigeria
Trump specifically thanked the Government of Nigeria for its partnership in the operation. The mission involved coordination between US special forces and Nigerian armed forces, reflecting growing counterterrorism cooperation between the two nations.
Impact on ISIS
Trump’s announcement suggests that al-Minuki’s death will significantly disrupt ISIS’s global operations. The group has been attempting to expand its foothold in Africa, particularly in the Sahel and West Africa regions, after losing much of its territory in Iraq and Syria.
Al-Minuki’s elimination is expected to deal a major blow to the group’s command structure and its ability to plan external operations.
A developing story
This is a breaking news story, and further details about the operation – including the exact location, timing, and whether any US or Nigerian forces were injured – are expected to emerge in the coming hours.
The Biden administration had previously conducted similar high-value terrorist targeted operations, including the killing of ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi in 2022. Trump’s return to the White House has seen a continuation of aggressive counterterrorism policies.
For now, the White House has framed the successful mission as a testament to US intelligence capabilities and the strength of its partnership with African allies in the fight against ISIS.
