Washington/Abuja — Former United States President Donald Trump has claimed that American and Nigerian forces jointly carried out an operation in Nigeria that killed a senior ISIS figure identified as Abu-Bilal al-Minuki.
In a statement shared online, Trump described the militant as the “second in command of ISIS globally” and said the operation was conducted through cooperation between U.S. forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
According to Trump, the mission was intelligence-driven and aimed at dismantling part of ISIS’ global operational structure.
“Brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission,” he said, adding that the operation had significantly weakened the extremist group’s international network.
Trump also thanked the Nigerian government for its partnership in the operation.
As of the time of reporting, neither the Nigerian military nor the United States Department of Defense had independently confirmed the identity or status of the individual named in the statement.
The claim nevertheless comes amid growing international concern over the expansion of Islamic State-linked insurgent networks across West Africa and the Sahel region.
Nigeria has remained engaged in prolonged counterinsurgency operations against extremist organisations including ISWAP and Boko Haram, particularly in the northeastern part of the country and the wider Lake Chad region.
Security analysts say international intelligence cooperation has increasingly become central to counterterrorism operations targeting transnational extremist groups operating across Africa.