Illustrative image. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson)
President Donald Trump announced late on May 15 that the United States and Nigeria had killed the second-highest leader of ISIS globally, in a joint military operation.
“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 on his Truth Social platform.
Trump said that Abu-Bilal al-Minuki “thought he could hide in Africa,” but claimed that American intelligence sources had tracked his movements.
“He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans,” he added. “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!”
Al-Minuki was born in the Borno state of Nigeria in 1982. He was designated Specially Designated Global Terrorists by the U.S. in 2023, along with another ISIS leader Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rufay’i.
Nigeria has long struggled with attacks by terrorist groups, including not just ISIS and its affiliate Islamic State – West Africa Province (ISWAP), but also Boko Haram.
According to the Counter Extremism Project, al-Minuki is believed to have occupied a regional command role within ISIS since the 2018 killing of ISWAP chief Mamman Nur.
Last December, the U.S. military launched strikes in Nigeria upon orders from Trump, who a month earlier warned the West African nation over repeated attacks on Christians. At the time, Africa Command said that strikes were carried out “at the request of Nigerian authorities” in the northwestern state of Sokoto, “killing multiple ISIS terrorists.”
Nigeria welcomed the strikes back then, stressing that it will continue to cooperate with the U.S. military against ISIS and other terrorist groups.
In February, the U.S. military deployed about 100 military personnel to northern Nigeria to provide training, intelligence sharing and technical support to Nigerian forces as attacks by terrorist groups surged.
The U.S. expanding military presence in Nigeria has internal and external motives. U.S. evangelical groups and even some lawmakers have repeatedly called on the Trump administration to take action to stop what they describe as a “Christian genocide” in Nigeria.
At the same time, the military presence strengthens U.S. influence in Nigeria, one of the largest oil and gas producers in Africa and a close partner of China.
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“america first” somehow morphed into “jews first”. you have to be careful of those vague political slogans, they mean different things to different people.
another day, another amerikunt bombing, another amerikunt murder. f… all vile amerikunt scum.
“god bless america!”
correction… god bless murica.
united wrestling foundation supports murica. shit yeahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!