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Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, the Islamic State’s director of global operations, killed in a joint US-Nigeria operation, was “the most active terrorist in the world” with a significant history of planning attacks and directing hostage-taking, the United States Africa Command said.
In a statement released Saturday, AFRICOM confirmed that at the direction of President Donald Trump and the Secretary of War, and in coordination with the Government of Nigeria, the command conducted an operation against ISIS in Northeastern Nigeria on May 16, 2026.
The command’s initial assessment is that multiple terrorists, including al-Minuki and other senior ISIS leaders, were killed during the operation. No U.S. service members were harmed, AFRICOM said.
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
“As President Trump shared last night, AFRICOM in coordination with the Armed Forces of Nigeria, bravely and valiantly conducted a successful mission that resulted in the elimination of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, and multiple other ISIS leaders,” said U.S. Air Force Gen. Dagvin Anderson, commander of U.S. Africa Command.
“This operation underscores the exceptional value of the U.S.-Nigeria partnership and was made possible through the cooperation and coordination of our forces in recent months,” Anderson added.
“Make no mistake, our two nations will relentlessly pursue and neutralise terrorist threats and are committed to protecting our people and interests.”
According to AFRICOM, al-Minuki “provided strategic guidance to the ISIS global network on media and financial operations as well as the development and manufacturing of weapons, explosives, and drones.”
It also described him as “the most active terrorist in the world” with “a significant history of involvement in planning attacks and directing hostage taking.”
The operation comes hours after Nigerian President Bola Tinubu confirmed the elimination of al-Minuki, also known as Abu-Mainok, and expressed gratitude to President Trump for his leadership and support.
