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US President Donald Trump delivers remarks in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, DC, US, May 8, 2026. REUTERS
LAGOS:
A senior Islamic State group leader, described as “the most active terrorist in the world”, has been killed in a joint operation by US and Nigerian forces in the west African country, the two countries’ presidents said.
Under US sanctions since 2023, Abu-Bilal al-Minuki was the second-in-command of IS worldwide, according to US President Donald Trump and the two militaries.
The killing comes as IS activity is increasingly concentrated in Africa, hitting a record high of 86 percent in the first quarter of 2026, up from 49 percent in all of 2024, according to a report by global conflict monitor ACLED released this week.
Trump said in a post on Truth Social announcing the killing, that “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”.
The Nigerian defence forces said al-Minuki was “one of the world’s most active terrorists”.
As director of global operations for IS, al-Minuki provided strategic guidance on media and financial operations and “the development and manufacturing of weapons, explosives and drones”, according to the Nigerian military and US Africa Command (AFRICOM).
“Al-Minuki was the most active terrorist in the world and has a significant history of involvement in planning attacks and directing hostage taking,” said AFRICOM.
“Nigerian Armed Forces, working closely with the Armed Forces of the United States, conducted a daring joint operation that dealt a heavy blow to the ranks of the Islamic State,” Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu said, confirming the killing.
