ABUJA, Nigeria — Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, identified by the White House as the second-in-command of ISIS globally, was killed in a joint military operation conducted by American and Nigerian forces, President Donald Trump announced late Friday on Truth Social. Trump said he personally directed the mission, describing it as meticulously planned, highly complex, and executed without incident.
The announcement was reposted by the official White House Instagram account, signaling formal government confirmation of the operation. No further details on the location of the strike within Africa, the method of engagement, or casualties on either side were disclosed in the announcement.
Trump Says ISIS’s Global Reach Is ‘Greatly Diminished’
Trump stated that al-Minuki had sought refuge in Africa while continuing to operate, and that U.S. intelligence sources had tracked his movements throughout. “He thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing,” Trump wrote. The president added that al-Minuki had been actively planning operations targeting Americans and terrorizing populations across Africa, and that his removal had significantly weakened ISIS’s ability to function globally.
Trump credited Nigeria directly for its role in the mission, thanking the Nigerian government for its partnership. The framing of the announcement as a joint operation represents a notable alignment between Washington and Abuja on counterterrorism objectives in the region.
What the Killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki Means for ISIS
Trump’s characterization of al-Minuki as “the most active terrorist in the world” and ISIS’s global second-in-command has not been independently verified by a separate government body in any statement published as of filing. Those designations represent the official position of the U.S. government as stated by the president. No Nigerian government statement confirming or expanding on the operation had been issued as of publication.
The operation, carried out at presidential direction with the cooperation of a sovereign African military partner, represents one of the most significant counterterrorism announcements of Trump’s current term and signals an active U.S. military posture on the African continent that officials and analysts are expected to address in the coming days.
