The Defence Headquarters on Saturday confirmed the successful elimination of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, a senior ISIS commander described as one of the world’s most dangerous terrorists, during a joint counterterrorism operation conducted by Nigerian and United States forces in the Lake Chad Basin.
In a statement signed by the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, the military said the operation was “meticulously planned and highly coordinated,” adding that it marked a major breakthrough in ongoing efforts to dismantle terrorist networks operating across Nigeria, the Sahel and other parts of the world.
According to the DHQ, the precision strike was made possible through the recently strengthened partnership and intelligence-sharing collaboration between the Armed Forces of Nigeria and United States forces.
The military described al-Minuki as a key ISIS operational and strategic figure who coordinated media operations, economic warfare, weapons manufacturing, explosives development and drone operations for ISIS affiliates outside Nigeria.
The Defence Headquarters further revealed that intelligence assessments suggested the slain terrorist had recently been elevated to Head of the General Directorate of States, effectively making him the second most senior leader within the ISIS global hierarchy.
“His death removes a critical node through which ISIS coordinated and directed operations across different regions of the world,” the statement noted.
The DHQ also linked al-Minuki to several terrorist operations in West Africa, including longstanding ties with ISIS-West Africa and alleged involvement in the 2018 Dapchi schoolgirls kidnapping.
The military disclosed that between 2015 and early 2016, the terrorist commander facilitated the movement of fighters into Libya to support ISIS operations in North Africa before formally aligning with ISIS after previously operating within Boko Haram ranks.
It added that al-Minuki later served in 2023 as the Nigeria-based Emir of the al-Furqan GDP Office, overseeing ISIS-linked operations across the Sahel and West Africa, including attacks targeting civilians and vulnerable ethnic and religious communities.
The Defence Headquarters said the successful operation demonstrated Nigeria’s unwavering resolve to confront terrorism and deny extremist groups the ability to threaten national, regional and international security.
“The operation equally underscores the importance of our Nigeria-United States collaboration, intelligence sharing and coordinated military action in defeating transnational terrorist networks,” the DHQ stated.
The military also commended the gallantry, professionalism and dedication of all personnel involved in the mission and reaffirmed its commitment to sustained operations aimed at dismantling terrorist infrastructure and restoring peace and stability across the region.
