Trump says ISIS deputy killed in U.S.- Nigerian operation

Trump says ISIS deputy killed in U.S.- Nigerian operation
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the press aboard Air Force One enroute to the U.S. following his official visit with President Xi Jinping in China, 15 May, 2026.
Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, was killed in an operation conducted by U.S. and Nigerian 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,” Trump said on Truth Social.

He identified Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, the second in command of ISIS globally, saying he was targeted in Africa after intelligence tracking his movements.

Trump did not disclose the exact location of the operation in his post.

ISIS member designated as global terrorist

Al-Minuki, a Nigerian national, was designated a “specially designated global terrorist” by the former Biden administration in 2023, according to the U.S. Federal Register.

Trump thanked the Nigerian government for its cooperation in the operation. Nigeria, however, has consistently denied allegations of religious discrimination, saying its forces target armed groups attacking both Christians and Muslims.

Ongoing counterterrorism operations in West Africa

The U.S. had earlier carried out strikes against Islamic State-linked militants in Nigeria in December. Since then, Washington has deployed drones and around 200 troops for training and intelligence support to Nigerian forces.

U.S. officials say the deployment remains in a non-combat role, focused on supporting local counterterrorism operations against ISIS- and al Qaeda-linked groups spreading across West Africa.

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