Trump says ISIL second-in-command Abu-Bilal al-Minuki killed

play Live Sign upShow navigation menu.css-15ru6p1{font-size:inherit;font-weight:normal;}Navigation menuNewsShow more news sectionsAfricaAsiaUS & CanadaLatin AmericaEuropeAsia PacificMiddle EastExplainedOpinionSportVideoMoreShow more sectionsFeaturesEconomyHuman RightsClimate CrisisInvestigationsInteractivesIn PicturesScience & TechnologyPodcastsTravelplay Live Click here to searchsearchSign upNavigation menucaret-leftDonald TrumpTrump and Xi: A history of key meetingsCould China, US form a ‘G2’?Key issues on the tableUS-China head-to-headWhy China may have the edge at Trump-Xi summitcaret-rightNews|Donald TrumpTrump says ISIL second-in-command Abu-Bilal al-Minuki killedUS and Nigerian forces carry out a joint operation against the commander, who was deemed a ‘global terrorist’ in 2023. xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoUS President Donald Trump speaks to the media on board Air Force One [Evan Vucci/Reuters]By AFP and ReutersPublished On 16 May 202616 May 2026Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, alleged to be the second-in-command of ISIL (ISIS) globally, has been killed in an operation conducted by United States and Nigerian forces, President Donald Trump said. “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 in a post on Truth Social on Friday. “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.” Trump also thanked the Nigerian government for its partnership in the operation, but did not provide further details. Al-Minuki had been under US sanctions since 2023 for his links to ISIL. When announcing al-Minuki’s designation on the list of “global terrorists”, the US State Department described him as a Sahel-based ISIL senior leader and part of its General Directorate of Provinces, the group’s administrative body that provides “operational guidance and funding around the world”. “With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished,” Trump said. For months, Trump has accused Nigeria of not doing enough to stop armed groups from targeting Christians in the country’s northwest. Abuja has denied the charge and said that fighters target both Muslim and Christian communities in the country. On Christmas Day last year, US forces carried out an air strike in Sokoto State that targeted ISIL fighters operating in the region. The US has since deployed hundreds of troops to Nigeria to provide technical support and intelligence sharing in the fight against armed groups. The US forces are playing a strictly noncombat role, Nigeria has said. Advertisement AboutAboutShow moreAbout UsCode of EthicsTerms and ConditionsEU/EEA Regulatory NoticePrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyCookie PreferencesAccessibility StatementSitemapWork for usConnectConnectShow moreContact UsUser Accounts HelpAdvertise with usStay ConnectedNewslettersChannel FinderTV SchedulePodcastsSubmit a TipPaid Partner ContentOur ChannelsOur ChannelsShow moreAl Jazeera ArabicAl Jazeera EnglishAl Jazeera Investigative UnitAl Jazeera MubasherAl Jazeera DocumentaryAl Jazeera BalkansAJ+Our NetworkOur NetworkShow moreAl Jazeera Centre for StudiesAl Jazeera Media InstituteLearn ArabicAl Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human RightsAl Jazeera ForumAl Jazeera Hotel PartnersFollow Al Jazeera English: