By Joy Yesufu
United States President Donald Trump has announced that a joint operation involving U.S. and Nigerian forces has killed a senior Islamic State leader identified as Abu-Bilal al-Minuki during a coordinated military mission in Nigeria.
Trump, in a statement posted on his Truth Social platform on Friday, described the operation as “meticulously planned and very complex,” claiming that al-Minuki was the Islamic State’s second-in-command globally and one of the world’s most active terrorists.
“He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa or help plan operations to target Americans,” Trump stated. “With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished.”
Al-Minuki, a Nigerian national, was identified by the U.S. State Department in 2023 as a key Islamic State figure operating in the Sahel region of Africa.
He reportedly served as a senior official within one of ISIS’s General Directorate of Provinces offices, which coordinate operational guidance and funding for the group’s affiliates worldwide.
The U.S. Treasury Department placed him on its specially designated global terrorist list in 2023, imposing sanctions over his alleged role in coordinating extremist activities across West Africa.
Although ISIS lost significant territory in Iraq and Syria following sustained military campaigns beginning in 2017, the group and its regional affiliates continue to maintain an active presence in parts of Africa and the Middle East.
In West Africa, ISIS-linked factions remain active in Nigeria and across the Sahel region, particularly in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, where insurgent attacks and clashes with rival extremist groups have intensified in recent months.
Security analysts say the region has become one of the most volatile theatres for extremist violence globally.
The latest operation follows earlier U.S. military strikes on ISIS targets in Nigeria during the Christmas period last year. At the time, the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) said several ISIS fighters were killed in coordinated airstrikes on militant camps.
Trump has repeatedly called on Nigerian authorities to intensify efforts against terrorism and insecurity. Last year, he criticised the Nigerian government over persistent violence in parts of the country, particularly attacks affecting Christian communities.
However, Nigerian authorities have consistently denied allegations of religious persecution, maintaining that both Christians and Muslims have suffered casualties from insurgency and banditry in northern Nigeria.
While further operational details surrounding the latest mission remain limited, security observers believe the reported killing of al-Minuki could represent a significant blow to ISIS operations in West Africa and the Sahel region.
