US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that the American forces and the Nigerian military, in a joint operation, have killed Abu-Bilal al–Minuki (also known as Abu Bakr al-Mainuki), the second-in-command of ISIS globally and one of the group’s most active leaders.
“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…” -… pic.twitter.com/KF8MYet9CB
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 16, 2026
Describing the operation as “meticulously planned and flawlessly executed,”, Trump added that Al Minuki, who had terrosied Africa all these years, will no longer be able to do so. “With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished”, Trump posted on Truth Social, thanking the Nigerian government for their cooperation.
Al Minuki was declared a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the US government in 2023 due to his leading role in ISIS-West Africa (ISWAP). For years, he had carried out attacks across multiple nations and was also reportedly involved in planning attacks against US forces and assets. Born in 1982 in the Borno state in Nigeria, Al Minuki served in the General Directorate of Provinces of ISIS and had operated in the Lake Chad, Nigeria and the larger Sahel region. He had risen in ISIS ranks after the 2018 execution of his rival leader Mamman Nur.
The elimination of Al Minuki marks a significant step in anti-terror operations in West Africa. Details of the operation are yet to be made public.
