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Trump says Isis second in command Abu-Bilal ‘eliminated from battlefield’

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ‌Isis globally, had been eliminated in an operation conducted by US…

By Samantha Johnson / May 16, 2026
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ‌Isis globally, had been eliminated in an operation conducted 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,” Trump said in ‌a ‌post on Truth Social.

“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.”

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

Nigerian soldiers walk past military tanks prepared for deployment in Maiduguri, Borno, on November 7, 2025. Photo: Reuters
Nigerian soldiers walk past military tanks prepared for deployment in Maiduguri, Borno, on November 7, 2025. Photo: Reuters

“He will no longer terrorise the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans,” Trump said. “With his removal, Isis’ global operation is greatly diminished.”

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