US President Trump Announces Killing of ISIS Second-in-Command in Joint Operation

AP file photo

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as the global second-in-command of the Islamic State group, had been killed in a joint operation conducted by US and Nigerian forces. In a statement, Trump said the operation was carried out at his direction and involved what he called a “meticulously planned and very complex mission” by American and Nigerian troops. "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 said through a post on Truth Social. He said that the ISIS leader had been tracked through intelligence sources despite attempting to hide in Africa. Trump added that al-Minuki had played a role in planning operations targeting Americans and destabilising parts of Africa, adding that his death would significantly weaken ISIS’s global network. "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. He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans. With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished," the US president added. In June 2023, under former US President Joe Biden, the US State Department designated Abu-Bilal al-Minuki as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. The designation identified him as a senior ISIS figure operating under multiple aliases, including Abubakar Mainok and Abor Mainok. According to the State Department, the sanctions targeted individuals linked to ISIS for their involvement in terrorist activities and the group’s global operations. Nigeria continues to grapple with multiple security challenges, particularly in its northern regions, where an insurgency has persisted for more than two decades. In February, the United States deployed troops to the West African nation to advise and support Nigerian forces in tackling insecurity. Two major Islamic State-linked militant groups are active in the country. The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) primarily operates in the northeast, including Adamawa state, while another ISIS-affiliated group, locally known as Lakurawa, has carried out attacks on villages in the northwestern and northcentral states of Sokoto and Kebbi.