President Donald Trump announced late on Friday that American and Nigerian forces successfully conducted a global operation that led to the death of a high-ranking ISIS leader.
Trump revealed that the individual, identified as Abu Bilal al-Minuki, held the position of ISIS’ second-in-command worldwide. In a post on Truth Social, he said, “Tonight, at my direction, the brave American and Nigerian military executed a complex mission to eliminate one of the world’s most active terrorists.” He explained that al-Minuki believed he could find refuge in Africa but was unaware that the U.S. had intelligence that tracked his actions. “He will no longer be able to terrorize people in Africa or plan attacks against Americans,” Trump added.
Additionally, Trump expressed gratitude to the Nigerian government for its collaboration throughout this mission, which he believes will significantly diminish ISIS’ global operations. However, further details regarding the operation were not immediately available. The White House has been contacted for additional comments.
This announcement followed a series of attacks by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) in February, which targeted over 30 ISIS positions in Syria as part of a broader military strategy aimed at maintaining pressure on the terrorist organization. CENTCOM reported that various military assets, including planes and drones, were utilized to hit ISIS infrastructure and weapon caches.
In a related matter, President Trump had previously mentioned his positive discussions with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, noting that “everything related to Syria in the region is going very well.” CENTCOM later confirmed that during two months of targeted operations in Syria, more than 50 ISIS members were either killed or captured, and more than 100 ISIS targets were struck.
On December 13, 2025, the U.S. launched Operation Hawkeye Strike in response to an ISIS ambush that resulted in the deaths of two American service members and an interpreter in Palmyra, Syria.
