Donald Trump announced on Friday that US and Nigerian forces killed an Islamic State leader
- Donald Trump announced on Friday that US and Nigerian forces had killed a leader of the Islamic State group in the African country plagued by jihadist violence.
- It was Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, the world’s second-ranking IS official, described as the “most active terrorist in the world” by the American president.
- Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and the military confirmed the death on Saturday.
The announcement was made by Donald Trump. The American president stated on Friday, May 15, that US and Nigerian forces had killed a leader of the Islamic State (IS) group based in the African country facing jihadist violence. “Tonight, on my orders, the brave American forces and the Nigerian armed forces carried out a meticulously planned and highly complex mission to eliminate from the battlefield the most active terrorist in the world,” said the American president on his Truth Social network.
“Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, number two of IS in the world, thought he could hide in Africa, but he did not know that we had sources that kept us informed of everything he was doing,” he added. Abu-Bilal al-Minuki had been placed under US sanctions in 2023 for his ties to IS. Washington then claimed that this man, also known as Abu Bakr al-Mainuki, was born in 1982 and was originally from the Borno State in northeastern Nigeria. “With his elimination, the operational capabilities of IS worldwide are significantly reduced,” Donald Trump congratulated.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and the military then confirmed on Saturday the death of this senior official in Nigeria. “Our determined Nigerian armed forces, working closely with the US armed forces, carried out a bold joint operation that dealt a severe blow to the ranks of the Islamic State,” said Bola Tinubu in a statement. According to the Nigerian defense forces, Abou Bilal al-Minuki was a “senior official of the Islamic State and one of the most active terrorists in the world.”
Military cooperation strengthened
The northern part of Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, is facing a dual insecurity: jihadist group violence and criminal gangs, locally referred to as “bandits,” who frequently carry out attacks on villages and massive abductions for ransom.
The rise in deadly attacks and mass kidnappings in recent months has drawn the attention of the United States. President Donald Trump claims that Christians in Nigeria are “persecuted” and victims of a “genocide” perpetrated by “terrorists,” a claim that Abuja and most experts strongly deny, as violence generally affects Christians and Muslims indiscriminately. The US military, in coordination with Nigerian authorities, conducted strikes in the state of Sokoto targeting jihadists of the Islamic State on Christmas Day, according to Washington. Since then, military cooperation between the two countries has strengthened.
