US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, the global second-in-command of the Islamic State, was killed during a coordinated operation conducted by US and Nigerian forces. Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu hailed the strike as a prime example of successful cooperation in combating terrorism, confirming that al-Minuki and several of his associates were eliminated.
Trump described the mission on Truth Social as “meticulously planned and very complex,” emphasizing that US intelligence sources had closely monitored al-Minuki’s movements. He noted that despite al-Minuki’s attempt to evade capture by hiding in Africa, US intelligence remained well-informed about his activities, though the precise location of the operation was not disclosed.
In a statement shared on X, President Tinubu revealed that the joint mission targeted a militant compound in the Lake Chad Basin. He characterized the operation as “daring” and said it inflicted a significant setback on Islamic State-affiliated groups in the region.
Al-Minuki, also known as Abu-Mainok, was a Nigerian citizen who had been designated a “specially designated global terrorist” by the Biden administration in 2023, as noted in the US Federal Register. Trump expressed gratitude to the Nigerian government for its cooperation throughout the operation.
Notably, Nigeria has consistently denied accusations of religious bias, asserting that its security forces target armed factions responsible for violence against both Christian and Muslim communities. Meanwhile, the United States has intensified its military involvement in Nigeria recently, deploying drones and stationing approximately 200 troops to provide training and intelligence support.
In December, US forces conducted strikes against Islamic State-linked militants in Nigeria amid escalating insurgent activity across West Africa involving groups affiliated with both Islamic State and al Qaeda.
