US President Donald Trump has announced that American and Nigerian forces have killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, whom he described as the “second in command of ISIS globally”, during a joint military operation in Africa. Trump shared the update on Truth Social and called the mission a major achievement against the Islamic State group’s global network.

Writing on the platform, Trump said the joint mission was “flawlessly executed... to eliminate the most active terrorist in the world”. He identified the target as Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, also known as Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Ali al-Mainuki. The US had already declared him a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2023 due to his role in directing extremist activities across Africa.

The Nigerian military has not officially commented on the operation so far. The BBC said it has contacted both the US government and Nigerian authorities for confirmation and further details. If the reports are confirmed, the killing would be seen as another major setback for ISIS after the death of its former leader Abu Bakr al‑Baghdadi in 2019.

According to reports, al-Minuki played a major role in expanding ISIS-linked activities in Africa. He reportedly directed operations connected to the Islamic State West Africa Province, which remains active in the Lake Chad Basin and the Sahel region. These networks have links across several countries, including Niger, Chad, and Mali. His role also involved managing funding channels and command structures connected to the terror group’s African operations.

Trump’s statement did not mention when exactly the operation took place or provide details about how the mission was carried out. However, he described al-Minuki’s death as a serious blow to ISIS operations both in Africa and globally. Trump also thanked the Nigerian government for supporting the mission and praised the growing security cooperation between the two countries.

The US president said Minuki “will no longer terrorise the people of Africa or help plan operations to target Americans”. His remarks highlighted concerns over the growing presence of extremist groups in parts of Africa, especially in regions already facing instability and violence.

The US and Nigeria have increased military cooperation in recent years as Nigeria continues its fight against extremist organisations operating in different parts of the country. In April this year, ISIS claimed responsibility for an attack in Nigeria’s north-eastern Adamawa state, where gunmen killed at least 29 people at a football pitch.

Last Christmas, American and Nigerian forces also carried out a joint airstrike in Nigeria’s Sokoto state targeting ISIS-linked groups. The latest reported operation further reflects the close military coordination between the two countries in counter-terrorism efforts across the region.