Trump says top ISIS terrorist leader killed in joint operation in Nigeria

U.S. and Nigerian military forces killed a top Islamic State leader in a joint operation in Africa that eliminated one of the top terrorists in the world, President Donald Trump announced Friday night.

Trump announced the death of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki in a post on his Truth Social platform.

"He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans," Trump wrote. "With his removal, ISIS's global operation is greatly diminished."

The Nigerian-born al-Minuki was identified in a 2023 State Department bulletin as a leader of ISIS leader and sanctioned by the Treasury Department as a specially designated global terrorist.

Trump thanked the Nigerian government for joining the U.S. operation.

"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 said.

"Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing," he added.