US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, had been eliminated in an operation conducted by American and Nigerian forces.
“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 revealed in a Truth Social update.
“He will no longer terrorise 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,” he added.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu confirmed the operation and said Al-Mainuki was killed alongside “several of his lieutenants, during a strike on his compound in the Lake Chad Basin.”
Who was Abu-Bilal al-Minuki?
Abu-Bilal al-Minuki was tagged as a ‘Specially Designated Global Terrorist’ by the United States in 2023. According to archived documents from the US government, former Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the details in June 2023. At the time, Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Mainuki was tagged as a “Sahel-based ISIS GDP al-Furqan Office senior leader”.
According to an AP report, he was viewed as the key figure in the terror group and focused on organising and finance. An official told the publication that he had been plotting attacks against the United States and its interests.