President Donald Trump announced Friday that American and Nigerian military forces killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, a man Trump described as the Islamic State's second-in-command globally, in an overnight joint operation. The mission marks the latest in a string of U.S. strikes aimed at dismantling what remains of the terror network's leadership.
Trump disclosed the operation in a post on Truth Social, calling it "a meticulously planned and very complex mission to eliminate the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield." Additional specifics, including the exact location and method of the strike, had not surfaced as of Friday afternoon.
The killing, if confirmed by independent sources, would represent one of the highest-profile counterterrorism operations of Trump's presidency and a significant blow to ISIS's ability to coordinate attacks from its African strongholds. It also underscores a broader campaign the administration has waged against Islamist militants in both Africa and the Middle East over the past year.
In his Truth Social announcement, Trump credited both American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria for executing the mission at his direction. He thanked Nigeria for its cooperation and wrote that al-Minuki had believed Africa would shield him from U.S. reach.
"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 also assessed the strategic impact in blunt terms.
"With his removal, ISIS's global operation is greatly diminished."
The New York Post reported that Trump said al-Minuki "thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing." Trump also described al-Minuki as a planner of operations targeting Americans.
Al-Minuki was not an unknown figure to U.S. intelligence. The State Department identified him in a 2023 bulletin as an Islamic State figure operating in Africa's Sahel region and a senior official in one of the group's General Directorate of Provinces offices, the administrative arm that CBS News reported helps direct ISIS funding and operations worldwide.
That same year, al-Minuki drew a formal terrorist designation from the State Department. Just The News reported that the Treasury Department also sanctioned him as a specially designated global terrorist. Trump wrote that al-Minuki "will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans."
The Islamic State has lost much of its strength since 2017, when U.S. and allied forces drove the group from territory it held across Iraq and Syria. But branches of the organization remain active in Nigeria and the broader Sahel, where they exploit weak governance, porous borders, and sectarian fault lines.
The operation did not happen in a vacuum. Trump pressed Nigeria last fall to act against terrorism and accused the country of failing to stop violence against Christians, CBS News reported. Nigerian officials rejected that characterization, insisting the country does not tolerate religious persecution. Analysts cited by CBS News noted that insurgent violence in northern Nigeria has harmed large numbers of both Muslims and Christians.
On Christmas Day last year, Trump ordered strikes on Islamic State targets in Nigeria, a dramatic escalation that signaled Washington's willingness to use direct military force in the region. The overnight operation that killed al-Minuki appears to be a continuation of that posture.
The scope of the joint campaign goes well beyond a single strike. The Washington Examiner reported that Nigeria said joint operations with the United States had killed 175 ISIS militants in northeast Nigeria. Those strikes reportedly destroyed ISIS checkpoints, weapons caches, logistical hubs, military equipment, and financial networks. Nigeria's defense ministry called the strikes a "major success" and said joint operations "will continue to hunt down and destroy those who threaten our nation and regional stability."
Al-Minuki was among those killed in the broader campaign, described as a major ISIS operative and the group's No. 2 globally.
The Africa operations are part of a wider administration effort against the Islamic State on multiple fronts. In February, U.S. Central Command said it had struck more than 30 Islamic State targets in Syria, Fox News reported. Those strikes were part of a response to a December ambush that killed two American service members and an interpreter, a loss that sharpened the administration's resolve to hit ISIS wherever it operates.
The pattern is clear: the administration has not treated ISIS as a spent force. While the group's territorial caliphate collapsed years ago, its decentralized branches, particularly in West Africa, have continued recruiting, fundraising, and planning attacks. The General Directorate of Provinces offices, where al-Minuki held a senior position, functioned as the connective tissue linking those far-flung cells to the broader ISIS command structure.
Removing a figure at that level does not end the threat. But it disrupts the coordination, the money flows, and the operational planning that keep a fractured terror network dangerous.
Several key details remain unclear. Trump's post did not specify where in Nigeria, or whether in Nigeria at all, the operation took place. The method used was not disclosed. No information about additional casualties, captures, or American losses has been made public. Independent confirmation of al-Minuki's death beyond the president's statement had not emerged as of Friday afternoon.
Those gaps will matter as the full picture comes into focus. But the administration's willingness to name the target, describe the cooperation with Nigeria, and publicly claim the operation suggests a degree of confidence in the outcome.
For years, critics across the political spectrum warned that ISIS was metastasizing in Africa while Washington looked the other way. Whatever questions remain about the details, this much is plain: the current administration is not looking the other way.