U.S. forces overnight Friday killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, the Islamic State’s second in command globally, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social.
The president did not specify the location of the strike, but said that the American forces “executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission” together with the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
Trump thanked the Nigerian government for its cooperation, adding that al-Minuki “will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans.”
“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
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated on X, “In conjunction with Nigeria’s President, and at the direction of President Trump, U.S. Africa Command oversaw a precise operation to remove this terrorist.”
Last night's operation targeted a significant presence of ISIS fighters in Northeastern Nigeria eliminating multiple high value individuals including Abu-Bilal al-Minuki. pic.twitter.com/lNj4AMSITH
— U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) (@USAfricaCommand) May 16, 2026
He continued, “Back in November 2025, President Trump declared to the world that we will help protect Christians in Nigeria and instructed the Department of War to prepare for action. So, for months, we hunted this top ISIS leader in Nigeria who was killing Christians, and we killed him—and his entire posse.
“The removal of him [al-Minuki] and other ISIS personnel makes Americans safer by further degrading ISIS’s ability to plan and carry out attacks that threaten the U.S. homeland, American citizens, and innocent civilians. … This should serve as a reminder that we will hunt down those who wish to harm Americans or innocent Christians, wherever they are.”
