US President Donald Trump said on Friday that a joint operation by Nigerian and US forces had completed a mission to "eliminate" a deputy leader of Islamic State in Africa.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said troops had removed Abu Bilal al-Minuki, whom he described as "the most active terrorist in the world," from the battlefield.
"He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans," Trump wrote, strongly suggesting the militant leader had been killed, though he did not explicitly confirm his death.
Trump said the operation had significantly weakened Islamic State's global operational capabilities but gave no details about when or where the mission took place or whether there were additional casualties.
It was also unclear whether US involvement was limited to air support or included troops on the ground.
Trump thanked the Nigerian government for its cooperation, suggesting the operation took place in Nigeria.
Several militant groups operate in northern and north-eastern Nigeria, including Islamist group Boko Haram and Islamic State affiliates. Northern Nigeria also borders Niger, a Sahel country where Islamic State-linked groups are active.
The US government had previously imposed sanctions on the militant leader, using the alternative spelling Al-Mainuki. According to US authorities, he was born in Nigeria in 1982.
US officials say Islamic State has been led since 2023 by Abu Hafis al-Haschimi al-Kuraischi, the fifth leader of the group since it declared a "caliphate" across parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014.
