United States President Donald Trump has announced that American and Nigerian military forces have jointly eliminated Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, the second-in-command of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) worldwide, in a precision operation conducted on African soil.
Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, describing the mission as the product of extensive intelligence gathering and meticulous strategic planning that tracked the terrorist leader’s movements across the continent.
“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,”
the US president wrote.
Trump said al-Minuki had been one of the most operationally active figures within ISIS, accusing him of masterminding attacks and providing logistical and operational support for terrorist activities targeting both American interests and communities across Africa. He added that the terrorist had believed he could evade capture by taking refuge on the continent, but was undone by intelligence sources who monitored his movements.
“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,”
Trump declared.
The US president credited the success of the operation to close collaboration between American forces and the Nigerian military, and extended formal appreciation to the Nigerian government for its partnership. The announcement marks a significant moment in the joint counter-terrorism efforts between the two countries and is expected to have far-reaching implications for ISIS operations across Africa.
