By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
United States President Donald Trump has announced that American forces, in collaboration with the Armed Forces of Nigeria, carried out a joint military operation that led to the elimination of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as the second-in-command of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria globally.
Trump disclosed the development via his official X handle, @realDonaldTrump, where he detailed the outcome of the mission and credited the partnership between both countries’ armed forces.
The operation, according to Trump, was executed “tonight” under his directive as a “meticulously planned and very complex mission” targeting the militant leader allegedly operating from Africa.
He stated that intelligence sources tracked al-Minuki’s movements, enabling U.S. and Nigerian forces to coordinate and execute the strike, which he said was aimed at degrading ISIS’s operational capacity and preventing further attacks.
In his statement, he wrote: “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.”
He further identified the target as “Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally,” adding that the militant leader had attempted to conceal his operations within Africa. “He thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing,” he stated.
Trump maintained that the operation would significantly weaken the group’s global reach, insisting that the militant “will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans,” adding that “with his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished.”
Furthermore, he commended Nigeria’s role in the mission, thanking the government for its partnership. “Thank you to the Government of Nigeria for your partnership on this operation,” he added, concluding with: “GOD BLESS AMERICA!”
At the time of filing this report, Nigerian authorities had yet to issue an independent confirmation or provide further operational details regarding the joint mission.
