ISIS second-in-command Abu Bilal killed by US, confirms Trump: Will no longer terrorise us
Al-Minuki had been placed under US sanctions in 2023 for ties to the Islamic State group, which maintains a major presence in parts of West Africa.
PTC News Desk: In a joint operation by the US and Nigeria, the second-in-command of the terror outfit Islamic State was killed in a daring operation, Donald Trump announced on 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 said on Truth Social.
"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 added.
Al-Minuki had been placed under US sanctions in 2023 for ties to the Islamic State group, which maintains a major presence in parts of West Africa.
"He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans," Trump said. "With his removal, ISIS's global operation is greatly diminished."
Since late 2025, the Nigerian government has faced mounting pressure from the United States, which has accused Abuja of failing to adequately tackle the growing Islamist militant threat in the region.
On Christmas Day, the US, working alongside Nigerian authorities, launched airstrikes in Sokoto State in northwestern Nigeria against fighters belonging to the Islamic State in the Sahel Province (ISSP), a group primarily active in neighbouring Niger. Following the operation, Washington deployed hundreds of troops to Nigeria to assist in training and supporting local security forces.
US President Donald Trump did not specify how the attack that reportedly killed al-Minuki was carried out, nor did he disclose whether American forces conducted airstrikes or the exact location where the militant leader was targeted.
When the US State Department added al-Minuki to its list of “global terrorists” in 2023, it described him as a senior Islamic State leader based in the Sahel region and a member of the group’s General Directorate of Provinces — the administrative arm responsible for providing operational direction and financial support to ISIS affiliates worldwide.