BREAKING: Nigerian-born ISIS Global Deputy Abu-Bilal al-Minuki killed in Joint US-Nigeria operation —Trump

Africa, International

INTERNATIONAL (NPA) — United States President Donald Trump has announced the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as the global second-in-command of ISIS, during a joint overnight operation carried out by United States and Nigerian forces.

Trump disclosed the development in a post on his Truth Social platform, saying the operation was “meticulously planned” and successfully executed by American troops alongside the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

According to the US President, the slain terrorist had been hiding in Africa while allegedly coordinating extremist operations targeting civilians across the continent and planning attacks against Americans.

Trump stated that the elimination of al-Minuki would significantly weaken ISIS’s global operational structure and reduce the group’s influence in Africa and beyond.

Part of Trump’s statement reads: “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. Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing. 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. Thank you to the Government of Nigeria for your partnership on this operation.”

Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, also known as Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Ali al-Mainuki, was believed to be a Nigerian-born extremist from Mainok in Borno State. Security reports identified him as one of the most influential ISIS commanders operating within Africa, particularly in the Lake Chad region.

He reportedly served as a top leader within the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and oversaw operations linked to ISIS’s General Directorate of Provinces, coordinating funding, logistics and operational guidance for affiliated terror cells.

The United States government had designated him a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in June 2023 over allegations of coordinating kidnappings, armed attacks and extortion activities across Nigeria and neighbouring countries.

Security analysts described his death as one of the most significant counterterrorism successes recorded in Africa in recent years, noting that the development could weaken ISWAP’s operational capacity across the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin.