U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, was killed in an operation conducted by U.S. and Nigerian forces. It was a strike that Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu described as “a significant example of effective collaboration in the fight against terrorism.” “Tonight, at my direction, brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission to eliminate the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield. Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing,” Trump said on Truth Social, without disclosing the exact location of the operation. In a statement posted on X, Tinubu said early assessments confirmed the elimination of al-Minuki – also known as Abu-Mainok – along with several of his lieutenants, during a strike on his compound in the Lake Chad Basin. Tinubu said Nigerian forces worked closely with their U.S. counterparts in what he called a daring joint operation that dealt a heavy blow to the ranks of the Islamic State.
Trump, Nigeria claim killing of senior ISIS leader
Published on: May 17, 2026 4:05 AM