Trump announces US, Nigerian forces killed top ISIS leader in Africa

President Donald Trump announced Friday evening that U.S. and Nigerian forces carried out an operation that killed a global leader of ISIS.

Trump identified the terrorist as Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, whom he described as ISIS’s second-in-command globally.

“Tonight, under my direction, the courageous American forces and the armed forces of Nigeria perfectly executed a meticulously planned and highly complex mission to remove the world’s most active terrorist from the battlefield,” Trump wrote in a message on Truth Social.

“Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, ISIS’ second-in-command globally, thought he might be hiding in Africa, but he didn’t know we had sources keeping us informed about what he was doing,” Trump continued. “He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, nor help plan operations targeting the Americans.”

100 US TROOPS LAND IN NIGERIA AS ISLAMIC ACTIVISTS THREAT WEST AFRICA REGIONAL SECURITY

President Donald Trump sits at a table monitoring military operations during Operation Epic Fury against Iran at the White House in Washington, DC, March 2. (The White House via account X/Anadolu/Getty Images)

Trump also thanked the Nigerian government for its cooperation on the mission.

“With its withdrawal, ISIS’s global operations are significantly reduced,” he added.

Additional details regarding the mission were not immediately available.

Fox News Digital has contacted the White House for comment.

US military in Syria carries out 10 strikes on more than 30 ISIS targets: photos

The announcement comes after US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it carried out multiple strikes against more than 30 ISIS targets in Syria in February as part of a joint military effort to “maintain relentless military pressure on remnants of the terrorist network.”

CENTCOM said U.S. forces struck ISIS infrastructure and weapons storage targets using fixed-wing, rotary-wing and unmanned aircraft.

DEADLY STRIKE AGAINST US TROOPS TESTS TRUMP’S PLAN AGAINST ISIS — AND HIS TRUST IN NEW LEADER SYRIA

The US military carried out ten strikes against more than 30 ISIS targets in Syria following an ambush in December that killed US troops. (CENTCOM)

Trump told reporters on Jan. 27 that he had a “great conversation” with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

“All things related to Syria in this region are working very, very well,” he said at the time. “So we’re very happy about that.”

CENTCOM announced in February that more than 50 ISIS terrorists had been killed or captured and more than 100 ISIS infrastructure targets had been hit during two months of targeted operations in Syria.

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The United States launched Operation Hawkeye Strike in response to an ISIS ambush that killed two U.S. service members and a U.S. interpreter on December 13, 2025, in Palmyra, Syria.

Ashley J. DiMella of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.