Washington: The United States has claimed a major success in its global anti-terror campaign after announcing the killing of Abu Bilal al-Minuki, believed to be the second-in-command of the Islamic State terror group (ISIS), during a joint military operation in Nigeria.
US President Donald Trump said American forces, along with the Nigerian military, carried out a “very complex and meticulously planned mission” targeting the senior ISIS leader who had reportedly been hiding in Africa. According to Trump, intelligence agencies had been tracking Abu Bilal’s movements for a long time before the strike was launched.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump described Abu Bilal as “one of the world’s most active terrorists” and claimed his death would significantly weaken ISIS operations in Africa and beyond. He also thanked the Nigerian government for its support during the mission.
Reports suggest Abu Bilal, also known as Abu Bakr Ibn Mohammad Ibn Ali al-Minuki, was a key commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). He was believed to be operating across the Sahel region and around the Lake Chad basin, where extremist groups have remained active for years.
The US had designated him as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” in 2023, accusing him of coordinating terror financing, weapons supply and operational planning for ISIS-linked groups in Africa.
Security analysts believe the operation could deal a major blow to ISIS’s growing network in West Africa, where insurgent violence has intensified in recent years.