US President Donald Trump has announced that Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as the second-in-command of ISIS globally, has been killed in a joint operation carried out by American and Nigerian forces.
ISIS commander who emerged as one of the most influential extremist figures operating across West Africa and the Sahel region.
Described by US President Donald Trump as ISIS’s “second-in-command globally”, al-Minuki was reportedly killed in a joint operation conducted by American and Nigerian forces in Africa.
Trump announced the operation on Truth Social, calling it a “meticulously planned and very complex mission” aimed at eliminating one of the world’s most active terrorists.
Born In Nigeria’s Borno State
Born in 1982 in Mainok, located in Nigeria’s Borno State, al-Minuki rose through the ranks of extremist networks operating in the Lake Chad Basin and Sahel region.
He became associated with the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a Boko Haram splinter faction aligned with ISIS.
Over time, he developed into a key operational and financial figure within ISIS’s expanding African network, particularly in regions plagued by insurgency and weak state control.
Rise Within ISIS Structure
Security reports and counterterrorism assessments identified al-Minuki as a senior official linked to ISIS’s General Directorate of Provinces (GDP), the body overseeing the group’s international branches.
He was also associated with the al-Furqan Office, believed to be one of ISIS’s major regional operational and financial coordination networks in Africa.
According to analysts, his responsibilities included overseeing logistics, coordinating militant operations and supporting ISIS-linked activities across multiple countries in the Sahel and Lake Chad region.
Designated Global Terrorist By US
In June 2023, the United States designated al-Minuki as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under Executive Order 13224, which targets individuals involved in terrorism financing and extremist activities.
US authorities accused him of playing a major leadership role within ISIS’s provincial operations and helping strengthen the organisation’s presence in Africa.
He was regarded as a hardline militant and reportedly maintained rivalries with other extremist faction leaders operating in the region.
Conflicting Reports Over Death
There had been earlier reports from Nigerian military sources in early 2024 claiming that al-Minuki had been killed during counterterror operations.
However, the latest announcement by Trump appears to indicate that US and Nigerian intelligence agencies later confirmed his identity and role through a separate high-profile operation in 2026.
Trump claimed the ISIS commander had been hiding in Africa while continuing to support global extremist activities.
“He will no longer terrorise the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans,” Trump said while announcing the mission.
A Key Figure In ISIS’s African Expansion
Though al-Minuki was not considered part of ISIS’s original Iraq-Syria leadership circle, counterterrorism experts viewed him as a significant architect of the group’s African expansion strategy.
His influence reportedly extended across the Sahel region, a vast and unstable belt spanning several African nations where ISIS-linked groups have expanded their presence in recent years.
Officials are expected to release further operational details about the raid and its implications for ISIS’s global network in the coming days.
