“Thought he could hide”: Trump announces killing of top ISIS leader Abu-Bilal

US President Donald Trump announced that American and Nigerian forces killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, whom he identified as the second-in-command of the Islamic State group globally, during a joint operation in Africa. Trump said the mission was carried out under his direction and described it as a “meticulously planned and very complex” operation involving US forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump said al-Minuki “thought he could hide in Africa” but US agencies had sources monitoring his activities. He stated that the operation targeted what he described as “the most active terrorist in the world” and added that the ISIS leader would no longer be able to organise attacks targeting people in Africa or Americans.

Trump said the removal of al-Minuki had significantly weakened the global operations of ISIS. He also thanked the Government of Nigeria for its cooperation during the operation and praised the role of the Nigerian armed forces in carrying out the mission alongside American personnel.

The operation was jointly conducted by US and Nigerian forces in Nigeria, according to Trump’s statement. Details regarding the exact location of the operation, the duration of the mission and the number of personnel involved were not disclosed in the announcement released by the US President.

Abu-Bilal al-Minuki was identified by Trump as the global second-in-command of ISIS. The announcement regarding his death was made through Trump’s official social media account, where he said intelligence sources had tracked the ISIS leader’s movements in Africa before the operation was launched.