United States President Donald Trump has announced that American and Nigerian forces carried out a joint military operation that reportedly killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as ISIS’s second-in-command globally.
Trump made the disclosure in a late-night post on Truth Social, claiming the operation targeted “the most active terrorist in the world” in a coordinated mission involving U.S. forces and the Nigerian military.
According to Reuters and other international media outlets, the operation was carried out in northeastern Nigeria, with reports pointing to the Lake Chad Basin region and parts of Borno State.
Trump said the mission was “meticulously planned” and successfully executed by U.S. special forces alongside Nigerian troops.
“[He] 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 in the post.
Reuters reported that Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, also known as Abu-Mainok, had previously been designated a global terrorist by the United States over alleged links to ISIS activities in West Africa and the Sahel region.
Reports say he played a major operational role within the Islamic State network across Africa.
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu was also quoted in international reports as acknowledging the operation and describing it as a significant breakthrough in ongoing counterterrorism efforts.
Security experts, however, warned that extremist groups operating in the Lake Chad Basin have historically demonstrated the ability to quickly replace senior commanders despite major military setbacks.
The Nigerian military had yet to release a detailed official statement on casualties, operational specifics, or whether additional insurgents were eliminated during the mission as of press time.
