US President Donald Trump announced on Friday (local time) that his country's forces had eliminated Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, the second in command of ISIS globally, in Nigeria.
According to Trump, the operation to kill Abu-Bilal al-Minuki was carried out jointly by the US and the Nigerian armed forces.
“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. 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 wrote on Truth Social.
Donald Trump hailed the killing of Al-Minuki, saying that he will “no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans.”
“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. Thank you to the Government of Nigeria for your partnership on this operation. GOD BLESS AMERICA!" Trump added.
Who was Abu-Bilal al-Minuki?
{{/usCountry}}“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. Thank you to the Government of Nigeria for your partnership on this operation. GOD BLESS AMERICA!" Trump added.
Who was Abu-Bilal al-Minuki?
{{/usCountry}}Abu-Bilal al-Minuki was an alleged high-ranking terrorist operative who served as the global second-in-command of ISIS. He was reportedly also known as Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Ali al-Mainuki.
According to a report by Counter Extremism Project, Al-Mainuki was based primarily in the Sahel region of Africa, spanning 12 countries. The Sahel is a semi-arid transitional zone in Africa stretching 5,900 kilometres across the continent from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea. It separates the arid Sahara Desert to the north from the humid Sudanian savannas to the south.
The region spans Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, and Sudan in the core, while also encompassing Gambia, Guinea, Cameroon, and Eritrea in extension.
Al-Minuki operated as a senior commander for the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and directed operations for the Lake Chad division of ISIS's General Directorate of Provinces (GDP), the report added.
Due to his prominent role in channelling international funding and guidance to terror cells, the US state department officially designated him as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) in June 2023.