WASHINGTON, United States — President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, whom he described as the second-in-command of the Islamic State globally, had been killed during a joint military operation carried out by American and Nigerian forces in Nigeria.
In a statement posted on social media in the early hours of Saturday, May 16, 2026, Trump said the operation was conducted at his direction and involved coordinated action between United States forces and the Nigerian military.
“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 wrote.
He identified the target as “Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally”.
“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 said.
“He will no longer terrorise the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans.”
Trump added that the operation had significantly weakened the militant group’s global network.
“With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished,” he wrote.
The American president also thanked the Nigerian government for cooperating with the United States during the mission.
Expanding Military Cooperation
The operation comes amid growing military collaboration between Nigeria and the United States following Washington’s renewed designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern.
In February, reports emerged that the United States had requested the establishment of a drone refuelling facility in Nigeria as part of broader security cooperation arrangements between the two countries.
The partnership expanded further in March when the United States deployed multiple MQ-9 drones and approximately 200 personnel to Nigeria to support intelligence operations and military training programmes focused on combating Islamist insurgent groups.
At the time, Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters said Nigerian and American forces would undertake joint training exercises and intelligence-sharing initiatives.
Previous U.S. Operations in Nigeria
The latest operation marks another high-profile American military action linked to Nigeria in recent months.
Late in 2025, the United States began intelligence-gathering flights over parts of Nigerian territory.
On December 25, American forces carried out strikes on what were described as terrorist positions in the Bauni forest area of Tangaza Local Government Area in Sokoto State.
Initial reports stated that the operation involved Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from a naval vessel in the Gulf of Guinea. However, officials later told TheCable that drones were used in the strikes.
Residents in parts of Sokoto and Kwara states reported explosions around the same period as the operation.
The Nigerian government later said explosions recorded in Kwara State resulted from debris linked to precision-guided munitions used during the American strike.
