US President Donald Trump announced that an American and Nigerian joint military operation in Africa has successfully neutralized the global second-in-command of the Islamic State. Writing on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump declared that the mission was flawlessly executed to eliminate Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, whom he described as the most active terrorist in the world. This unexpected confirmation that a top IS leader killed Trump highlighted expanding counter-terrorism partnerships across West Africa.
The Nigerian military has yet to issue an official statement regarding the details of the raid.
If confirmed, the death of al-Minuki represents the most devastating blow to the extremist group since its founder, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was killed in 2019. Washington had previously designated al-Minuki as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2023 due to his operational oversight. He was widely known to direct multiple IS-linked terrorist cells operating throughout the volatile Sahel region. His structural influence was particularly entrenched within the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which maintains cross-border networks spanning Niger, Chad, Mali, and the Lake Chad Basin.
Trump expressed his gratitude to the Nigerian government for their active combat partnership during the secret tactical deployment. He noted that al-Minuki`s removal ensures he will no longer terrorize African populations or orchestrate future attacks targeting American personnel. However, the president’s post did not elaborate on the specific timeline or the geographical location where the operation occurred. White House officials consider this a vital strategic victory that severely disrupts the logistical funding lines and command framework of IS globally.
Defense cooperation between Abuja and Washington has scaled up significantly as Nigeria combats escalating regional insurgencies. In April, gunmen associated with the Islamic State claimed responsibility for a brutal assault at a football pitch in north-eastern Adamawa state that left at least 29 people dead. Additionally, the two nations conducted a high-profile joint airstrike last Christmas targeting extremist strongholds in northwestern Sokoto state. The BBC has reached out to both the US State Department and Nigerian defense ministries for further clarification.
