Donald Trump announced on Friday that American forces, working together with the Nigerian military, had successfully killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, a senior ISIS leader described as the group’s global second-in-command. According to Trump, the operation took place in Nigeria and was carried out jointly by the United States and Nigerian armed forces through what he described as a highly coordinated mission.
“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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Donald Trump Says ISIS Operations Have Been Weakened
Trump praised the success of the mission and claimed that the removal of Al-Minuki would significantly weaken ISIS operations across different regions.
“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!” Trump added. The US President also thanked the Nigerian government for cooperating in the counterterrorism mission.
Who Was Abu-Bilal al-Minuki?
Islamic State operative Abu-Bilal al-Minuki was believed to be one of the highest-ranking members of the terror group globally. Reports suggest he was also known by the name Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Ali al-Mainuki.
According to the Counter Extremism Project, Al-Minuki mainly operated in the Sahel region of Africa, a vast semi-arid zone stretching nearly 5,900 kilometres across the continent from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea.
The Sahel region covers several African countries, including Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, and Sudan, while also extending into Gambia, Guinea, Cameroon, and Eritrea.
Abu-Bilal al-Minuki’s Role in ISIS
Reports indicate that Al-Minuki served as a senior commander within the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). He was also responsible for directing operations linked to the Lake Chad division under ISIS’s General Directorate of Provinces.
Authorities believed he played an important role in coordinating international funding, communication, and strategic guidance for extremist networks operating in Africa.
Due to his alleged involvement in global terror activities, the US State Department officially designated Al-Minuki as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) in June 2023.
The operation marks another major counterterrorism action involving US and African security forces as concerns continue over ISIS-linked activities across parts of the Sahel and West Africa.
