Counter-terrorism Decapitation Strike: Joint US-Nigerian Operation Eliminates ISIS Global Deputy Abu-Bilal al-Minuki

WEST AFRICA — Nigerian Armed Forces, in close coordination with United States forces, conducted a joint counter-terrorism operation overnight that targeted and eliminated a senior Islamic State (ISIS) leader identified as Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, also known as Abu-Mainok or Abu-Bilal al-Minuki.

Early assessments from both governments confirm the strike occurred on the target’s compound in the Lake Chad Basin and resulted in the deaths of al-Minuki along with several of his lieutenants.

The joint operation provided an example of bilateral collaboration against ISIS networks operating in the Sahel and Lake Chad region, where the group maintains active affiliates including the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

According to official statements, the mission was meticulously planned and executed as a complex strike involving Nigerian and US personnel. President Donald J. Trump stated that the operation was carried out at his direction to remove “the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield.”

Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu described it as a “daring joint operation” that dealt “a heavy blow to the ranks of the Islamic State.”

Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), in close coordination with the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), executed a precision air-land operation at Metele in Borno State within Sector 3 OPHK.

Impact on ISIS Networks in the Lake Chad Basin

The Lake Chad Basin has long served as a stronghold for ISIS-linked groups, enabling cross-border operations that threaten stability in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. Al-Minuki’s removal, alongside multiple lieutenants, disrupts leadership continuity and potential planning for attacks on civilians, military targets, and international interests.

Both leaders emphasized the operation’s role in advancing shared security objectives, with Tinubu expressing gratitude to President Trump for US support.

Battle damage assessment is ongoing, with troops conducting aggressive follow-on exploitation operations to decimate identified splinter cells and prevent any attempt at reconstitution. His elimination is the single most consequential counter-terrorism outcome in the North East Theater since the inception of Operation HADIN KAI.

Official Statements

• President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (Nigeria), May 16, 2026: “Overnight, Nigeria and the United States recorded a significant example of effective collaboration in the fight against terrorism. Our determined 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. Early assessments confirm the elimination of the wanted IS senior leader, Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, also known as Abu-Mainok, along with several of his lieutenants, during a strike on his compound in the Lake Chad Basin. [...] I commend the personnel involved on both sides for their professionalism and courage, and I look forward to more decisive strikes against all terrorist enclaves across the nation.”
• President Donald J. Trump (United States), May 15-16, 2026: “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. 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. He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans. With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished. Thank you to the Government of Nigeria for your partnership on this operation. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”
• Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI, Nigerian Army, Lt Col Sani Uba, Media Information Officer, May 16, 2026: “In a landmark joint counter-terrorism operation of historic significance, troops of the Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), in close coordination with the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), executed a meticulously planned and highly complex precision air-land operation that resulted in the neutralisation of Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, the Islamic State's (ISIS) second-in-command globally and the most senior ISWAP commander operating in the Lake Chad Basin and Sahel region alongside several of his key lieutenants and multiple combatants. [...] The operation was executed with zero casualties or loss of assets, a testament to the exceptional planning, superior tactical execution and the deepening synergy between Nigerian and US military forces in the global fight against terrorism. [...] This decisive operation reaffirms OPHK's position as the foremost counter-terrorism formation in sub-Saharan Africa and sends an unequivocal message that terrorists will find neither sanctuary nor safety within the North East Theatre.”
• U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) Public Affairs / Gen. Dagvin Anderson, Commander, May 16, 2026: “At the direction of the President of the United States and the Secretary of War, and in coordination with the Government of Nigeria, U.S. Africa Command conducted an operation against ISIS in Northeastern Nigeria on May 16, 2026. The command’s initial assessment is that multiple terrorists, to include Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, the director of global operations for ISIS, as well as other senior ISIS leaders, were killed during this operation. No U.S. service members were harmed. 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. Make no mistake, our two nations will relentlessly pursue and neutralize terrorist threats and are committed to protecting our people and interests.”