The second in command of ISIS globally, Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, was killed by U.S. and Nigerian forces targeting the top terrorist in the northeast region of the African country, President Donald Trump announced.
Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinabu has confirmed the terrorist’s death.
Trump announced the strike in a Truth Social post late Friday:
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. GOD BLESS AMERICA! President DONALD J. TRUMP.
In a statement posted on X, Tinubu confirmed the “heavy blow against the Islamic State” and expressed his “sincere gratitude to President Trump” for the success of the joint operation.
He said several of al-Minuki’s lieutenants were also taken out in the raid.
The Nigerian Army also posted on X, saying the operation in Metele in Borno State commenced just after midnight Saturday African time and concluded four hours later.
According to the statement:
The operation involved several air platforms in a synchronised air-land configuration that left the terrorists with no avenue of escape. The operation was executed following authorisation from the Military High Command, underscoring the highest levels of institutional coordination and strategic decision-making that underpinned the success of this mission.
The operation was executed with zero casualties or loss of assets, a testament to the exceptional planning, superior tactical execution, and the deepening synergy between Nigerian and U.S. military forces in the global fight against terrorism. Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki has been confirmed neutralised alongside several of his lieutenants and multiple combatants.
“Borno has endured an insurgency waged by Boko Haram and its splinter group Islamic State West Africa Province for 17 years that has killed thousands and displaced 2 million people,” Reuters reported.
A Nigerian national, Al-Minuki, was a “specially designated global terrorist” by the Biden administration in 2023, according to the U.S. Federal Register.
It’s not the first U.S. operation in Nigeria. The U.S. carried out strikes targeting Islamic State-linked militants in December.
“Since then, Washington has deployed drones and 200 troops to provide training and intelligence support to the Nigerian military against Islamic State and al Qaeda-linked insurgencies that are spreading across West Africa,” according to Reuters.
Contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the best-selling author of the Los Angeles crime novel Below the Line and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.