Trump says Islamic State second in command' killed by US 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, the US president said on his Truth Social platform Friday."

"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 added. Al-Minuki had been placed under US sanctions in 2023 for ties to the Islamic State group."

"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. Trump thanked the government of Nigeria for its partnership on the operation, while not disclosing exactly where it took place."

"The US carried out strikes targeting Islamic State-linked militants in Nigeria in December. Since then, Washington has deployed drones and 200 troops to provide training and intelligence support to the Nigerian military against Islamic State and al Qaeda-linked insurgencies that are spreading across west Africa. The US forces were operating in a strictly non-combat role, Nigerian military officials said earlier this year."

Donald Trump said US and Nigerian forces executed a complex mission to eliminate Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as ISIS’s most active global leader and second in command. Trump stated the operation was carried out at his direction and that US sources provided information about al-Minuki’s activities in Africa. Al-Minuki had been under US sanctions since 2023 for ties to ISIS. Trump said al-Minuki would no longer terrorize people in Africa or help plan operations targeting Americans, and that ISIS’s global operation was greatly diminished. Trump thanked Nigeria for partnership without disclosing the location. The US had previously conducted strikes in Nigeria and later deployed drones and troops for training and intelligence support in a non-combat role.

Read at www.theguardian.com