Kochi: Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second-in-command of the terror outfit Islamic State, was killed by the US and Nigerian forces, Donald Trump announced on Saturday, India Today reported.
With the elimination of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, a Nigerian national, the global operations of the IS are now greatly diminished, he said.
Trump said the operation was “meticulously planned”, calling it a “very complex mission” in Nigeria.
Al-Minuki was considered the IS organisational and financial mastermind and was believed to be “plotting attacks” against the US and its interests abroad.
“…brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission to eliminate the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
“He will no longer terrorise the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans. With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished,” he said.
A shadowy figure, al-Mainuki functioned as a senior commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
The US State Department classified him as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) in June 2023 due to his role in channeling international funding and guiding terror cells for the Islamic State.
Last year, Trump alleged that Christians were being persecuted in Nigeria – a claim denied by the African nation’s government.
Days after his allegation, the US conducted a powerful and deadly strike on alleged Islamic State camps in northwestern Nigeria. Trump justified the strike, claiming that ISIS terrorists were killing innocent Christians.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) carried out multiple strikes against more than 30 Islamic State targets in Syria.
Photo: X
