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U.S. President Donald Trump announced late Friday that U.S. and Nigerian forces had killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, whom he described as Daesh's second-in-command globally.
"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 wrote on Truth Social.
"Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS (Daesh) 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," he added.
Trump did not disclose the location of the operation or whether it involved airstrikes or ground forces. He thanked the Nigerian government for its "partnership" in the mission.
The U.S. State Department, when designating Minuki in 2023, identified him as a Sahel-based Daesh senior leader and a member of the terrorist group's General Directorate of Provinces, which the department described as providing "operational guidance and funding" to Daesh affiliates worldwide.
He was a Nigerian national.
The strike reflects the deepening of U.S.-Nigeria military cooperation that has accelerated since late 2025.
The United States deployed approximately 200 troops to Nigeria to provide training, intelligence sharing, and technical support, alongside drone assets, as attacks by Daesh-linked ISWAP and Boko Haram surged.
An earlier joint U.S.-Nigerian strike in December targeted Daesh in the Sahel (ISSP) members in Sokoto State. CENTCOM has also carried out strikes against more than 30 Daesh targets in Syria as part of sustained pressure on the network.
Nigeria has long battled armed group violence, including ISWAP, Boko Haram, and non-ideological armed gangs known as "bandits," primarily in its northwest and northeast regions.
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