Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that US and Nigerian forces have killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, whom he described as the Islamic State’s “second in command.” Trump said the operation was carried out “at my direction” by “brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria” in a “meticulously planned and very complex mission” intended to remove what he called “the most active terrorist in the world” from the battlefield.
Trump said al-Minuki had thought he could hide in Africa, but US sources kept track of his activities. He added that with al-Minuki’s death, “ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished” and that the militant “will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans.” Trump thanked the Nigerian government for its “partnership,” but did not say where the operation took place or what form the attack took.
The US designated Abu-Bilal al-Minuki under sanctions in 2023, labeling him a “specially designated global terrorist.” At the time, the State Department described him as a Sahel-based senior IS leader and a member of the group’s general directorate of provinces, an administrative body alleged to provide operational guidance and funding to IS affiliates worldwide.
The announcement comes after a period of increased US activity in the region. Washington carried out strikes targeting IS-linked militants in Nigeria in December and subsequently deployed drones and roughly 200 troops to provide training and intelligence support to Nigerian forces confronting IS and al-Qaeda-linked insurgencies spreading across West Africa. Nigerian officials earlier said US forces in the country were operating in a strictly non-combat role.
Trump has previously accused Nigeria of failing to protect Christians from Islamist militants in the northwest; Abuja rejects that charge, saying its security forces target armed groups that attack both Christians and Muslims.
Reporting also by Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
