The U.S. and Nigerian militaries killed the global second-in-command of the Islamic State in a joint operation on Friday. The strike in the Lake Chad Basin eliminated Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, a senior commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). This targeted mission occurred amid an escalating regional insurgency across the Sahel and signals an aggressive shift in Washington’s counter-terrorism strategy in West Africa.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced the successful mission via Truth Social, describing the operation as “meticulously planned” and “very complex.” Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu confirmed the initial assessments on X, noting that al-Minuki and several of his lieutenants died in the raid. The U.S. military relied on local intelligence sources to track the leader to his compound.
The joint strike is the most high-profile elimination of an ISIS leader in Africa since the U.S. expanded its military footprint in Nigeria with targeted Christmas Day airstrikes in Sokoto State. Al-Minuki operated primarily as the mastermind behind the group’s international funding and operational logistics. The details of the raid were initially verified according to a report by the BBC released Friday.
The U.S. State Department officially classified al-Minuki as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in June 2023 for directing operations within ISIS’s General Directorate of Provinces. Since late last year, Washington has deployed approximately 200 troops alongside intelligence drones to assist the Nigerian military. Prior to this strike, Nigerian officials maintained that U.S. forces operated in a “strictly non-combat role” focused on training. Tinubu praised the outcome as an effective collaboration in the ongoing fight against terrorism.