United States President Donald Trump has announced the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, reportedly the second-in-command of ISIS globally, during a coordinated counterterrorism operation involving American and Nigerian forces.
MJConcept TV News gathered that Trump disclosed the development late Friday through a post on Truth Social, revealing that the high-level mission was carried out under his directive by U.S. special forces working closely with the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
Describing the operation as “highly complex” and “meticulously planned,” Trump claimed the mission successfully eliminated what he called “the most active terrorist in the world.”
According to the U.S. President, al-Minuki believed he could evade capture by hiding in Africa, unaware that intelligence sources were closely monitoring his activities.
“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 stated.
While Trump did not disclose the exact location of the operation, he commended the Nigerian Government for its cooperation and partnership in the mission. Reports by Reuters identified al-Minuki as a Nigerian national who had been designated a “specially designated global terrorist” in 2023 under the administration of former U.S. President Joe Biden.
The development marks a major milestone in the growing security alliance between Washington and Abuja, particularly in the fight against ISIS-linked insurgents and al-Qaeda-affiliated extremist groups operating across West Africa.
The announcement also comes amid previous criticisms by Trump concerning attacks on Christians in Nigeria by Islamist militants. Nigerian authorities have consistently denied allegations of religious bias in counterterrorism operations, maintaining that both Christians and Muslims have been victims of violent extremist attacks nationwide.
If officially confirmed by Nigerian and U.S. defence authorities, the elimination of al-Minuki would rank among the most significant counterterrorism victories involving Nigerian forces in recent years.
The United States had earlier intensified its military support for Nigeria’s anti-terror operations, including strikes against ISIS-linked fighters in December. Since then, Washington has reportedly deployed surveillance drones and approximately 200 military personnel to assist Nigerian troops with intelligence gathering, training, and operational support against extremist networks in the region.
According to The Guardian, Trump stated that al-Minuki would “no longer terrorize the people of Africa” or coordinate attacks against Americans, adding that his death had “significantly weakened” ISIS’s global operations.
Security analysts believe the operation could signal a new phase in Nigeria-U.S. military cooperation against transnational terrorism. However, concerns remain among observers over issues of sovereignty, civilian protection, and the expanding role of foreign military involvement in Nigeria’s internal security operations.
As of the time of filing this report, Nigerian authorities had not released detailed information regarding the mission, including the exact location of the raid or whether additional ISIS fighters were captured or killed during the operation.