U.S. President Donald Trump has said a joint operation between American forces and the Nigerian military killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, whom he described as ISIS’s second-in-command worldwide.
Trump announced the strike on Saturday in a post on Truth Social, stating it followed months of intelligence work and close coordination with Nigerian security agencies.
According to Trump, al-Minuki played a leading role in ISIS operations across Africa and was linked to attacks targeting both Africans and Americans. He said the operation would weaken the group’s global network and curb its influence on the continent.
“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 wrote.
He added that al-Minuki “thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing,” and that his death would disrupt ISIS’s ability to plan attacks against U.S. and African targets.
Trump thanked the Nigerian government and military for their partnership, saying the mission showed the impact of U.S.-Nigeria cooperation against terrorism.
There has been no immediate statement from Nigerian authorities or independent confirmation of al-Minuki’s death.
