Washington: American and Nigerian forces have jointly carried out an operation that killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, ISIS’s second-in-command globally, US president Donald Trump said on Friday.
The mission took place in Africa, he said, claiming that the elimination had significantly weakened ISIS’s international network. The US president also thanked the Nigerian government for supporting the operation.
The operation was conducted under his direction by American forces alongside the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Trump said on Truth Social.
“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,” Trump wrote.
Abu-Bilal al-Minuki believed he could remain hidden in Africa, but Amer
ican forces had intelligence sources monitoring his activities, he added, as reported by News18.
“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 said.
The ISIS leader would no longer be able to “terrorize the people of Africa” or help plan attacks against Americans, the US president said.
“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.
Abu-Bilal al-Minuki is believed to be another name used by Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Ali al-Mainuki, a senior ISIS leader linked to the terror group’s operations in the Sahel region of Africa.
He was allegedly associated with ISIS’s General Directorate of Provinces and had several aliases, including Abu Bilal al-Minuki, Abubakar Mainok and Abor Mainok, American records say.
He was officially designated him as a senior ISIS leader in 2023 by the US state department. He played a major role in ISIS-linked activities in the Sahel region and was considered an important figure within the organisation’s international structure, the report says.