On Saturday, President Trump announced a successful counterterrorism operation conducted in northeastern Nigeria alongside American and Nigerian forces. This mission resulted in the death of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, a prominent figure within ISIS, identified as their second-in-command.
The operation unfolded in the Lake Chad Basin, a region where ISIS affiliates like the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) are active across Nigeria, Chad, Niger, and Cameroon.
Al-Minuki, born in Borno State, Nigeria, had risen within ISWAP before taking on significant responsibilities within the larger ISIS network. U.S. officials recognized him for his role in orchestrating media strategies, financial operations, and the creation of weapons and drones.
In 2023, he was labeled a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the U.S., with ties to various attacks and the kidnapping of schoolgirls in Dapchi in 2018. He was known to oversee all ISIS-related activities throughout the Sahel and West Africa, as noted in a report from Reuters.
The operation was carried out by Nigeria’s Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI, working closely with U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).
Troops targeted al-Minuki’s compound in the Lake Chad area, leading to his death alongside several lieutenants and other combatants, with no injuries reported among U.S. forces.
In a statement on Truth Social, President Trump praised the mission, asserting, “At my direction, brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission.” He remarked that al-Minuki’s days of instilling fear in Africa are over.
President Trump expressed gratitude to the Nigerian government for its collaboration, while Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu confirmed the operation’s success. He heralded the elimination of al-Minuki and his associates as a “significant example of effective collaboration in the fight against terrorism” underlining a robust U.S.-Nigeria intelligence relationship.
Furthermore, U.S. Africa Command continues to conduct counterterrorism operations in the Sahel and East Africa, targeting ISIS-Somalia and al-Shabaab in recent airstrikes in Somalia from April to May 2026.
Efforts against ISIS in the Lake Chad region are ongoing and demonstrate a commitment to combatting terrorism in Africa.
