It is the second joint operation launched by Nigeria and the United States. On Saturday, the West African country confirmed the death of Abou Bilal al-Minuki, described as a “high-ranking official of the Islamic State and one of the most active terrorists in the world.”
He had been placed under American sanctions in 2023 for his ties to ISIS. Washington had stated that this man, also known as Abou Bakr al-Mainuki, originally from the state of Borno in northeastern Nigeria, was born in 1982.
He was described by Nigerian forces as “a strategic and operational figure who provided advice to ISIS entities outside Nigeria on issues related to media operations, economic warfare, as well as the development and manufacturing of weapons, explosives, and drones.”
Mission “very complex”
“Our Nigerian Armed Forces, determined and working closely with US forces, carried out a bold joint operation that dealt a severe blow to the ranks of the Islamic State,” said President Bola Tinubu in a statement confirming an announcement from President Donald Trump.
Abou Bilal al-Minuki met his death “along with several of his lieutenants, during a strike against his compound in the Lake Chad Basin,” said the Nigerian president. Nigerian forces also stated that “his death eliminates a key link through which the Islamic State coordinated and directed its operations in various regions of the world.”
“Tonight, on my instructions, the courageous American forces and Nigerian Armed Forces carried out a meticulously planned and very complex mission to eliminate the world’s most active terrorist from the battlefield,” said the US President on his Truth Social network. “With his elimination, the operational capabilities of ISIS worldwide are significantly reduced,” assured Donald Trump. He added, “He will no longer terrorize the African population or contribute to planning operations targeting Americans.”
Second operation
This is the second time in five months that the American president has launched a military intervention in Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, which has been fighting a jihadist insurgency since 2009, mainly concentrated in the northeast, while armed groups have established themselves in vast rural areas in the northwest and central-north.
The increase 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 the majority of experts strongly deny, as violence generally affects both Christians and Muslims indiscriminately.
“More aggressive”
The US army, in coordination with Nigerian authorities, carried out strikes in the state of Sokoto (northwest) on Christmas Day targeting, according to Washington, ISIS jihadists. The Pentagon increased intelligence sharing, accelerated arms sales, and deployed 200 soldiers to train Nigerian troops.
Under President Trump’s administration, “we have become much more aggressive and are working with partners to tactically target threats, primarily ISIS,” said General John Brennan, a senior official in the US Africa Command, in late January to AFP.
In early April, the US State Department authorized the departure of non-essential personnel from Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, due to the deteriorating security situation. ISIS-affiliated jihadists are active in neighboring Niger, as well as in Burkina Faso and Mali, where they are waging a bloody insurgency against the governments of these countries.
