United States President, Donald Trump, has announced that Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as the second-in-command of ISIS globally, has been killed in Nigeria.
Trump said al-Minuki was killed in a “complex mission” jointly carried out by American and Nigerian troops.
The US president shared updates on the operation in a social media post in the early hours of Saturday.
“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,” Trump wrote.
“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.
“He will no longer terrorise the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans.
“With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished.”
Trump also acknowledged and thanked the Nigerian government for its “partnership on this operation”.
The development follows growing military cooperation between Nigeria and the United States, particularly after Washington re-designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).
Reports indicate that the partnership includes expanded security support, intelligence sharing, and joint operations targeting insurgent groups.
In March, the US deployed multiple MQ-9 drones alongside about 200 troops to Nigeria to provide training and intelligence support in the fight against Islamist militants.
The Defence Headquarters had earlier stated that Nigerian troops and US forces would undertake a series of joint training exercises and intelligence-driven operations.
The collaboration also builds on earlier US intelligence-gathering missions and targeted strikes on terrorist enclaves in parts of northern Nigeria, including operations carried out in Sokoto State late last year.
