ISIS Global Second-in-Command Dead, US President Donald Trump Confirms Joint US-Nigeria Strike

Washington: US President Donald Trump made a big claim late on Friday night. According to him, Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, the second highest commander of ISIS, was killed by American and Nigerian forces together. Trump wrote on Truth Social that this operation was very complicated but was carried out with complete planning.

What did Trump say on this operation?

Trump wrote in the post, "On my orders, American forces and the Nigerian army together eliminated one of the most dangerous terrorists in the world. Al-Minuki was thinking that he would survive by hiding in Africa, but we had news of his every move." The president did not reveal the location of the operation, only saying that it took place at night.

Who was Al-Minuki?

Al-Minuki was a resident of Nigeria. In 2023, the Biden government had included him in the list of “Specially Designated Global Terrorist”. He was number 2 in the international network of ISIS and was looking after the work of expanding the organization in Africa. According to intelligence reports, he was planning attacks in entire West Africa including Nigeria.

Why did Trump's stance change regarding Nigeria?

Until a few months ago, Trump used to accuse Nigeria of not being able to stop attacks on Christians in the northwest. But this time he openly thanked the Nigerian government for supporting the operation. Nigeria has already made it clear that its army does not target any religion but takes action against armed groups that attack both Christian and Muslim communities.

What is America doing in Africa?

Last December, America carried out air strikes on ISIS-linked targets in Nigeria. Since then the Pentagon has deployed 200 troops and drones there. Their job is to provide training and intelligence to the Nigerian Army. Nigerian officers say that American soldiers are not directly involved in the fighting, only helping.

How much loss does ISIS suffer from this death?

Security experts believe that the killing of Al-Minuki will break the back of ISIS in West Africa. But the local units of the organization are still active. This joint operation between Nigeria and America shows that a big partnership is now being formed against terrorism in Africa.