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The United States and Nigeria said their forces killed Abu-Bilal Al Minuki on May 16, 2026, during a joint military operation.

The senior Islamic State (IS) leader described by U.S. President Donald Trump as the “second in command of ISIS globally” and “the most active terrorist in the world.”

According to Nigerian authorities, Al Minuki was killed alongside several of his lieutenants during a strike on a fortified compound in Metele, Borno State.

The operation was carried out in northeastern Nigeria near the Lake Chad Basin, a region that has long served as a stronghold for jihadist groups, including Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu confirmed the strike, calling it “a significant example of effective collaboration in the fight against terrorism.”

According to Nigerian authorities, Al Minuki was killed alongside several of his lieutenants during a strike on a fortified compound in Metele, Borno State.

“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…” -… pic.twitter.com/KF8MYet9CB

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 16, 2026

Months of Intelligence Gathering

The Nigerian military said the operation began shortly after midnight on Saturday, following months of surveillance, reconnaissance, and intelligence gathering conducted in coordination with U.S. forces.

Troops reportedly carried out a precision air-and-ground operation with support from U.S. Africa Command. Nigerian officials said no casualties or equipment losses were recorded during the mission.

Trump announced the operation late on May 15, saying American and Nigerian forces had executed a “meticulously planned and very complex mission.”

“Abu-Bilal Al Minuki thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing,” Trump wrote on social media.

The U.S. president thanked the Nigerian government for its partnership, adding that the militant leader “will no longer terrorize the people of Africa or help plan operations to target Americans.”

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also confirmed the strike, saying the operation significantly weakened ISIS’s operational capabilities in Africa.

According to Hegseth, Al Minuki oversaw attack planning, hostage-taking operations, and financial networks for ISIS-linked groups across multiple regions.

Last night's operation targeted a significant presence of ISIS fighters in Northeastern Nigeria eliminating multiple high value individuals including Abu-Bilal al-Minuki. pic.twitter.com/lNj4AMSITH

— U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) (@USAfricaCommand) May 16, 2026

ISIS’s Most Senior Figures

Nigerian military officials said Al Minuki had recently been promoted to head the Islamic State’s “General Directorate of States,” placing him among the highest-ranking figures in the global organization.

Washington designated him a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2023. Before joining ISIS, Al Minuki was reportedly a senior commander within Boko Haram, the extremist group that launched an insurgency in northern Nigeria in 2009.

Boko Haram later pledged allegiance to ISIS in 2015 under former leader Abubakar Shekau, leading to the creation of the Islamic State West Africa Province.

The militant group has since become one of the deadliest ISIS branches worldwide. Security analysts say around 90 percent of ISIS attacks now occur in sub-Saharan Africa, with Nigeria-based militants playing a major role in the organization’s activities.

Al-Minuki was also linked to several major attacks and kidnappings across West Africa, including the 2018 Dapchi schoolgirls kidnapping in which more than 100 girls were abducted from a boarding school in northeastern Nigeria.

Officials said he previously directed ISIS-linked operations across the Sahel region and coordinated attacks targeting civilians and minority communities.

The Lake Chad Basin, shared by Nigeria, Chad, Niger, and Cameroon, has long been difficult for security forces to control due to its swamps, waterways, and remote terrain.

Both Boko Haram and ISWAP have used the area as a base for launching attacks, kidnappings, and cross-border operations.

Nigerian authorities said Al Minuki had established a heavily fortified camp in the region before the strike. His nickname, Abu Mainok, is believed to come from Mainok, a town in Borno State. Analysts say such naming traditions are common in the region, where militants are often identified by their hometowns or family origins.

The Nigerian military previously claimed it had killed Al Minuki in 2024, but later acknowledged that the individual killed at the time was another fighter using the same alias.

The military has faced similar situations in the past, including multiple premature announcements regarding the death of Boko Haram leader Shekau before his death was officially confirmed in 2021.

Growing US-Nigeria Security Cooperation

The operation highlights growing military cooperation between Nigeria and the United States as both countries increase efforts against extremist groups in West Africa.

In recent years, Washington has expanded intelligence sharing, surveillance support, and counterterrorism cooperation with Nigerian forces. Last Christmas, U.S. and Nigerian forces carried out a joint airstrike in Sokoto State targeting ISIS-linked militants.

The cooperation comes as violence continues across parts of Nigeria, where jihadist groups, armed gangs, and separatist movements have carried out attacks for more than a decade.

In April, ISIS claimed responsibility for an attack in Adamawa State that killed at least 29 people at a football field in northeastern Nigeria.

Trump has previously criticized Nigeria over security issues and accused the government of failing to adequately protect Christian communities from militant violence. Nigerian officials have repeatedly rejected those claims, saying extremist violence affects Nigerians of all religious backgrounds.

Speaking recently at the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, Tinubu defended Nigeria’s growing cooperation with international partners.

“Security challenges will always be there, those are things you cannot do alone,” Tinubu said, adding that “I must pursue pragmatic cooperation and partnerships, which is necessary to enhance the security of lives and property of our people.”

The killing of Al Minuki is expected to be viewed as one of the most significant counterterrorism operations carried out in West Africa in recent years. Officials in both Washington and Abuja said the strike disrupted ISIS command structures, operational planning, and financial networks across the region.