World

Trump says ISIS second in command Abu-Bilal al-Minuki eliminated

US president says the operation was conducted by US and Nigerian forces

By Reuters Published: 2026-05-16T09:53:00+04:00 1 min read
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the press aboard Air Force One enroute to the U.S. following his official visit with President Xi Jinping in China, May 15, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the press aboard Air Force One enroute to the U.S. following his official visit with President Xi Jinping in China, May 15, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci


U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, had been eliminated ⁠in an operation conducted by U.S. and Nigerian forces.

"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. ‌

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," Trump ​said ⁠in ⁠a post on Truth Social.

He also thanked the Nigerian government for its ⁠partnership in the operation.