The Defence Headquarters on Saturday said the senior Islamic State leader killed in a joint counterterrorism operation conducted by Nigerian and United States forces was responsible for overseeing the terrorist group’s weapons manufacturing, drone development and global media operations.
The US President, Donald Trump, had earlier confirmed the operation, describing al-Minuki as “the most active terrorist in the world.”
Trump said the slain militant leader, whom he described as the “second in command of ISIS globally,” had believed he could evade capture in Africa.
Confirming the operation, the DHQ, in a statement by its Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba, described Abu-Bilal al-Minuki as one of the world’s most active terrorists and noted that he was killed during a “meticulously planned and highly coordinated” precision operation.
Uba said beyond this, al-Minuki served as a critical strategic figure within the ISIS global network, providing guidance to ISIS entities outside Nigeria on economic warfare and media operations, making him one of the group’s most operationally versatile commanders.
