Donald Trump Appreciates President Tinubu as Joint U.S.-Nigeria Operation Eliminates ISIS World No. 2 Leader
U.S. President Donald J. Trump on Friday announced that American forces, working alongside the Armed Forces of Nigeria, carried out a joint counterterrorism operation that eliminated an ISIS commander described as one of the group’s top global leaders.
According to Trump, the operation resulted in the death of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, whom he identified as the second-in-command of ISIS worldwide.
In a statement posted late Friday night, the U.S. president praised both American and Nigerian troops for what he described as a highly coordinated and complex military mission.
“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 stated.
He added, “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 terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans.”
Trump further claimed that the operation had dealt a major blow to ISIS’s international network, saying, “With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished.”
The U.S. president also thanked Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Nigerian government for their partnership in the operation, describing the mission as a powerful example of growing security cooperation between Washington and Abuja.
Nigerian defense authorities had not immediately released a separate official statement at the time of reporting.
However, analysts note that collaboration between the United States and Nigeria has intensified in recent years amid rising terrorist threats and insurgent activity across parts of Africa.
The reported operation comes as global efforts continue to target ISIS-linked networks operating beyond the Middle East, particularly in vulnerable regions where extremist groups have attempted to expand their influence.
If independently confirmed by intelligence and allied agencies, the mission would rank among the most significant joint U.S.-Nigeria counterterrorism operations in recent history.