Abu-Bilal al-Minuki: ISIL’s shadow commander in West Africa

Nigeria and the United States have announced the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as a key ISIL leader and the second-in-command of ISIL in West Africa. The joint military operation, a precision air-land strike, occurred in Metele, Borno state, on Saturday between midnight and 4 am. Al-Minuki, also known as Abu-Mainok, was a former Boko Haram leader who pledged allegiance to ISIL in 2015 and was sanctioned by the US in 2023. He was considered a crucial figure in coordinating ISIL operations globally, particularly in media, economic warfare, and weapons manufacturing, and oversaw operations across the Sahel and West Africa. Experts suggest his death will create a significant leadership and financial vacuum within ISWAP, potentially leading to internal friction and impacting the group's ability to fund operations and acquire advanced technology.

U.S. and Nigerian forces conducted a joint mission on Friday that killed Abu Bakr al-Mainuki, a leader of the Islamic State group in Nigeria. President Donald Trump announced the operation, stating al-Mainuki was the global second-in-command and had been plotting attacks against the U.S. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu confirmed the strike on al-Mainuki's compound in the Lake Chad Basin, where he was killed with several lieutenants. The Nigerian military described the operation as a complex air-land mission with no casualties on their side. Al-Mainuki was considered a key figure in IS organizing and finance, and his elimination is seen as a significant counterterrorism outcome in the region.

President Donald Trump announced that Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, identified as the global second-in-command of ISIL, has been killed. The operation was a joint effort by United States and Nigerian forces. Trump stated that al-Minuki, who was designated a "global terrorist" in 2023, was believed to be hiding in Africa. The US State Department had previously described him as a Sahel-based ISIL senior leader involved in the group's global operations. Trump thanked Nigeria for its partnership in the mission and suggested the removal of al-Minuki would significantly diminish ISIL's global operations. No further details about the operation were provided.

US President Donald Trump announced that American and Nigerian forces conducted a joint operation in Africa that eliminated Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as the "second in command of ISIS globally" and "the most active terrorist in the world." Al-Minuki, designated a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by Washington in 2023, directed IS-linked cells across Africa, notably the Islamic State West Africa Province. Trump stated this killing is a significant blow to IS's African and global networks, disrupting funding and command structures. The Nigerian military has not yet commented on the raid, and further details of the operation were not provided.

President Donald Trump announced that U.S. and Nigerian forces conducted an operation that killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, whom Trump identified as ISIS's global second-in-command. Trump stated on Truth Social that the mission, executed at his direction, eliminated a highly active terrorist from the battlefield, preventing him from terrorizing Africa or planning operations against Americans. He thanked the Nigerian government for its cooperation, asserting that al-Minuki's removal significantly diminishes ISIS's global operations. This announcement follows recent U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) strikes against ISIS targets in Syria.