U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, identified as ISIS's second-in-command globally, was killed in a joint operation with Nigerian forces on Friday night. The strike took place at his compound in Nigeria's Lake Chad Basin and resulted in the deaths of several lieutenants alongside him.
Key Takeaways
U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, ISIS's second-in-command globally, was killed in a joint operation with Nigerian forces on Friday night. The strike took place at his compound in Nigeria's Lake Chad Basin and resulted in the deaths of several lieutenants alongside him.
- Joint U.S.-Nigeria operation kills Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, ISIS second-in-command
- Strike conducted in Lake Chad Basin with no casualties to US or Nigerian forces
- Al-Minuki designated as a global terrorist by the Biden administration in 2023
- Operation part of intensified efforts against Islamic State-linked militants in West Africa
- Additional airstrikes killed more than 20 ISWAP militants in Borno state's Metele area
The operation involved a helicopter assault by US Special Forces and Nigerian commandos who engaged around three dozen ISIS fighters hiding on two small islands in Lake Chad, according to Daily Mail. Air strikes were ordered to ensure all terrorists had been killed. Footage released by the US Africa Command showed aircraft targeting the ground around a concrete compound before a massive explosion destroyed the hideout.
The operation was described by Trump as 'meticulously planned and very complex,' aimed at eliminating what he termed 'the most active terrorist in the world.' According to President Bola Tinubu, al-Minuki was killed during a strike on his compound in the Lake Chad Basin. Born in Nigeria's Borno province in 1982, al-Minuki took leadership of the IS branch in West Africa after the group's previous leader, Mamman Nur, was killed in 2018.
Al-Minuki had been designated as a 'specially designated global terrorist' by the former Biden administration in 2023. The U.S. State Department described him as a senior official in one of ISIS's General Directorate of Provinces offices, responsible for providing operational guidance and funding worldwide.
The operation was conducted during three hours of darkness early Saturday without any casualties or loss of assets, according to Sani Uba, the spokesperson for the Nigerian military task force that carried out the mission. Trump thanked the Nigerian government for its partnership in the operation, emphasizing that al-Minuki's removal would significantly diminish ISIS's global operations.
The announcement comes amid ongoing U.S. efforts to combat Islamic State-linked militants across West Africa, including previous strikes and deployment of drones and troops to support regional military forces. According to NPR, analysts suggest that if confirmed, the killing of al-Minuki is significant because it marks the first time a high-ranking ISWAP leader has been killed.
The operation was described as a 'highly complex precision air-land operation' by Sani Uba, the spokesperson for the Nigerian military task force that carried out the mission. It was conducted during three hours of darkness early Saturday without any casualties or loss of assets.
Additional airstrikes were conducted in Borno state's Metele area on Sunday, killing more than 20 Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants according to a Nigerian military statement. The strikes came after intelligence that suspected fighters had converged there. No US or Nigerian personnel were harmed in the operation.
The operations underscore Washington’s readiness to tackle militants directly in Africa, which is now the focus of the group’s global operations. According to crisis monitoring group Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, Africa accounted for 86% of ISIS's global activity in the first three months of 2026.
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