United States and Nigerian armed forces have killed a senior commander of ISIS during a joint military operation.
President Donald Trump disclosed this in a post on Truth Social late Friday, claiming the operation had greatly diminished the militant group’s power.
“Tonight, at my direction, 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,” he stated.
The president named the target as “Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS operations globally.
“He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans,” Trump said.
According to documents from the US Office of Foreign Assets Control, al-Minuki was born in 1982 in Borno State, North-East Nigeria, which borders Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
Trump did not specify where the attack happened. He said al-Minuki “thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing.”
He further appreciated the Nigerian government for its cooperation.
Nigeria’s State House, the office of the President of Nigeria, also confirmed the operation in a statement. Nigerian and US forces “conducted a daring joint operation that dealt a heavy blow to the ranks of the Islamic State,” it said.
“Early assessments confirm the elimination of the wanted ISIS senior leader, Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, also known as Abu-Mainok, along with several of his lieutenants, during a strike on his compound in the Lake Chad Basin,” it added.
Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appreciated Trump in a statement on Saturday morning.
“Nigeria appreciates this partnership with the United States in advancing our shared security objectives,” he wrote on social media. “I extend my sincere gratitude to President Trump for his leadership and unwavering support in this effort.”
It is not the first strike Trump has ordered on alleged ISIS militants in Nigeria, whom he has accused of persecuting Christians in the West African country.
In December, Trump said he had directed a “powerful and deadly strike against ISIS” in northwestern Nigeria, who he said had been killing innocent Christians.
A month prior, Trump said he was planning military action in response to what he claimed was a “mass slaughter” of Christians by Islamist insurgents.
The Nigerian government at the time rejected claims that it was not doing enough to protect Christians from violence, saying it was bewildered by Trump’s suggestion of a possible military intervention.
Analyst and Experts say the situation on the ground is complex, with both groups affected by attacks from radical Islamist elements.
The country has for years battled deep-seated security challenges fueled by several factors, including religiously driven attacks.
Observers say other violent clashes arise from communal and ethnic tensions, as well as conflicts between farmers and herders over limited land and water resources.
