United States President Donald Trump has announced that Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as the second-in-command of the Islamic State (ISIS), has been killed in Nigeria during a joint military operation.
Trump said the terrorist leader was eliminated in a “complex mission” carried out by Nigerian forces alongside American troops.
He disclosed the development in a social media post shared in the early hours of Saturday.
“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 wrote.
“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 will no longer terrorise the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans.
“With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished.”
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Trump also expressed appreciation to the Nigerian government for its cooperation in the operation.
Nigeria has recently strengthened military ties with the United States following Trump’s re-designation of the West African nation as a country of particular concern (CPC).