President Donald Trump announced late Friday that U.S. forces working alongside Nigerian troops carried out a successful counterterrorism mission that killed a top ISIS commander in Africa. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the operation was conducted at his direction and described it as a complex and carefully coordinated success.
“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.
The president identified the target as Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, whom he described as ISIS’s second-in-command and a major operational figure hiding in Africa.
“He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans,” Trump said.
“With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished.”
“Thank you to the Government of Nigeria for your partnership on this operation. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”
U.S. Africa Command later confirmed the operation and said early assessments indicate additional ISIS leaders were also killed in the strike.
“As President Trump shared last night, AFRICOM in coordination with the Armed Forces of Nigeria, bravely and valiantly conducted a successful mission that resulted in the elimination of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, and multiple other ISIS leaders,” AFRICOM Commander Gen. Dagvin Anderson said.
“This operation underscores the exceptional value of the U.S.-Nigeria partnership and was made possible through the cooperation and coordination of our forces in recent months,” he added.
“Make no mistake, our two nations will relentlessly pursue and neutralize terrorist threats and are committed to protecting our people and interests.”
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu also praised the joint mission.
He called it a “significant example of effective collaboration in the fight against terrorism.”
“Our determined Nigerian Armed Forces, working closely with the Armed Forces of the United States, conducted a daring joint operation that dealt a heavy blow to the ranks of the Islamic State,” Tinubu said.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also celebrated the operation, tying it to Trump’s prior commitment to protecting Christians in Nigeria from extremist violence.
“Back in November 2025, President Trump declared to the world that we will help protect Christians in Nigeria and instructed the Department of War to prepare for action,” Hegseth wrote on X.
“So, for months, we hunted this top ISIS leader in Nigeria who was killing Christians, and we killed him—and his entire posse.”
“Operations like last night’s demonstrate the exceptional lethality, patience and skill of U.S. forces, amplified alongside willing and capable partners, to address shared threats,” he added.
“This should serve as a reminder that we will hunt down those who wish to harm Americans or innocent Christians, wherever they are.”
The strike marks another major counterterrorism action by the Trump administration in Africa, The Hill reported.
Last December, Trump described a previous U.S. military strike in northwest Nigeria as a “Christmas present” to ISIS after multiple militants were reportedly killed.
In December that U.S. airstrikes carried out the against ISIS camps in Nigeria were a “Christmas present” to the terror group.
“They really got hit hard yesterday,” Trump said on 77 ABC Radio. “They got a bad Christmas gift.”
The president spoke after the U.S. launched strikes in retaliation for ISIS allegedly killing Christians in Nigeria. He suggested that the attack saved “tens, hundreds of thousands” of Christian lives.
Trump also claimed that U.S. strikes against allegedly narco-terrorist boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific have led to a 97.2% reduction in drug trafficking. He also stated that the current low gasoline prices are similar to a significant tax cut, and said that gasoline prices in a growing number of states is now below $2 a gallon.
The latest operation underscores continued American military engagement against ISIS affiliates operating across Africa, where extremist groups have increasingly expanded their presence in recent years.
