In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump said the operation targeted Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, whom he identified as the second-in-command of Daesh globally. Trump said the mission was conducted jointly with Nigerian forces following intelligence tracking the militant’s activities across Africa.

“Brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission,” Trump said, adding that Al-Minuki “will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans.”Trump did not specify where the operation occurred or whether it involved airstrikes, ground forces or drone attacks.

Nigerian authorities had not immediately issued a public statement detailing the mission.The United States sanctioned Al-Minuki in 2023, identifying him as a senior Daesh figure based in the Sahel region and part of the organization’s General Directorate of Provinces, the administrative structure responsible for coordinating operations and financing across multiple regions.

According to the US State Department, Al-Minuki played a role in providing operational guidance and funding support for Daesh affiliates operating in Africa and beyond.Nigeria has faced escalating militant violence from regional branches linked to Daesh as well as rival Islamist group Boko Haram.

Nigerian security forces have also been engaged in operations against heavily armed criminal gangs known locally as “bandits.”Washington has increased military cooperation with Nigeria since late 2025 amid growing US concerns about the expansion of Islamist insurgencies across West Africa and the Sahel.

On Christmas Day last year, US and Nigerian forces conducted joint airstrikes in Sokoto State targeting fighters from the Islamic State in the Sahel Province, a Daesh affiliate active across parts of Niger and northwestern Nigeria.

Since then, hundreds of US personnel have reportedly been deployed to Nigeria to assist with intelligence sharing, military training and counterterrorism coordination.

Trump thanked the Nigerian government for what he described as its “partnership” in the latest operation, saying the removal of Al-Minuki had significantly weakened Daesh’s international network.