United States President, Donald Trump has announced that American and Nigerian forces carried out a joint operation that killed a senior commander of the Islamic State in Africa.
In a post shared on Truth Social, Trump said the operation targeted Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, whom he described as the “second in command of ISIS globally.”
According to the US president, the mission was carried out successfully by both countries’ security forces.
He wrote, “The joint mission was flawlessly executed… to eliminate the most active terrorist in the world.”
Al-Minuki, also known as Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Ali al-Mainuki, was declared a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the United States in 2023.
Trump described his death as a major setback for Islamic State operations in Africa and beyond.
He also praised the Nigerian government for working closely with the United States in the fight against terrorism.
The US president said Minuki “will no longer terrorize the people of Africa or help plan operations to target Americans.”
As of the time of filing this report, the Nigerian military had yet to officially comment on the operation.
If confirmed, the development would mark another major blow against the extremist group following the 2019 killing of former IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Reports indicate that al-Minuki coordinated IS-linked operations across Africa, especially through the Islamic State West Africa Province operating around the Lake Chad Basin and parts of the Sahel region, including Niger, Chad and Mali.
Trump did not disclose where or when the operation took place.
The announcement comes amid growing military cooperation between Nigeria and the United States in efforts to tackle terrorism and armed insurgency.
In April, Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack in Adamawa State that left at least 29 people dead at a football viewing centre.
Last December, Nigerian and US forces also reportedly carried out a joint airstrike in Sokoto State targeting IS-linked fighters.
