President Donald Trump says U.S. and Nigerian forces have killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as the second in command of ISIS globally, in a joint operation in Nigeria.
Trump announced the strike Friday night on Truth Social, saying American and Nigerian forces carried out a “meticulously planned and very complex mission” at his direction.
“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,” he wrote.
“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,” Trump added.
He said al-Minuki “will no longer terrorise the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans” and that his removal “greatly diminished” ISIS’s global operation.
Trump thanked the Nigerian government for partnering on the mission.
The operation comes after a December 2025 U.S. strike in Sokoto State that targeted ISIS militants at Nigeria’s request.
U.S. Africa Command said that earlier strike was carried out in coordination with Nigerian authorities and killed multiple militants.
Nigerian officials have said recent strikes are part of ongoing security cooperation with the U.S., involving intelligence sharing and strategic coordination.
National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu met with U.S. officials in Washington this week to deepen counterterrorism partnership.
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