Trump: US Forces and Nigerian Troops Eliminate ISIS's Second-in-Command

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on his social media platform, Truth Social, that Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, identified as the global second-in-command of the Islamic State (IS), has been eliminated in a joint operation conducted by U.S. forces and the Nigerian military. Trump stated that under his direction, the forces executed a "flawlessly planned and executed" mission to remove a "most active terrorist" from the battlefield. He asserted that al-Minuki, who was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2023 due to his ties with IS, can no longer threaten people in Africa or assist in planning attacks against Americans. Trump expressed gratitude to the Nigerian government for their cooperation in the operation, emphasizing that the elimination of al-Minuki has significantly weakened ISIS's global operations. This announcement comes after Trump had previously criticized Nigeria over the alleged persecution of Christians, a claim denied by the Nigerian government. Last Christmas, U.S. forces conducted strikes in northwestern Nigeria targeting locations believed to be Islamist strongholds following Trump's accusations.