A joint military operation by the United States and Nigeria killed the second-highest leader of Daesh globally in the west African country, the leaders of the two countries said Friday.
Under U.S. sanctions since 2023, Abu-Bilal al-Minuki was the second-in-command of Daesh worldwide, according to U.S. President Donald Trump and the Nigerian military.
"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," Trump said in a post on Truth Social first announcing the killing.
The Nigerian defence forces said al-Minuki was a "senior ISIS leader and one of the world's most active terrorists", using another name for the terrorist group.
It described him as an "operational and strategic figure who provided guidance to Daesh entities outside Nigeria on matters relating to media operations, economic warfare and the development and manufacturing of weapons, explosives and drones".
