Nigeria Confirms Top IS Leader Killed in Joint Operation with U.S. Forces
Some of the 24 armoured vehicles donated by the United States to the Nigerian military at the Nigerian Army 9th Brigade Parade Ground in Lagos, on January 7, 2016. The U.S. government donated the vehicles to help fight Boko Haram, an extremist group whose six-year insurgency has killed over 17,000 people. (Photo by STEFAN HEUNIS / AFP)
May 16, 2026 | Burma Independent Voice
Nigeria has confirmed that a top leader of the Islamic State (IS) network based in the country was neutralized during a joint operation conducted by the Nigerian military and U.S. forces.
U.S. President Donald Trump first broke the news of the successful operation, which was shortly followed by an official statement from Nigerian President Bola Tinubu. “Our resolute Nigerian Armed Forces, working in close coordination with U.S. forces, executed a daring joint operation that has dealt a severe blow to the Islamic State,” Tinubu announced.
According to President Trump, the deceased extremist is Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, who served as the second-highest-ranking leader within the global IS organization. The operation took place late last night.
President Tinubu’s statement added that al-Minuki, also known as Abu-Minok, was killed alongside several of his top lieutenants during a precision airstrike on his encampment located in the Lake Chad Basin region.
The Nigerian Defence Headquarters described al-Minuki as “a top-tier ISIS commander and one of the most active terrorists globally.” Military officials disclosed that he provided strategic oversight for ISIS affiliates beyond Nigeria, managing media wings, financial warfare, and the development of weapons, explosives, and drone technologies. “His elimination removes a critical central node that coordinated ISIS operations across various global regions,” the defense statement noted.
Nigeria continues to battle heavily against regional IS factions, as well as their rival Islamist group Boko Haram, and notorious armed criminal syndicates locally referred to as “bandits.”
Since late 2025, Washington had been pressuring Nigeria, accusing the government of doing insufficient work to counter the growing Islamist militant threat. Tensions led to a major joint intervention on Christmas Day last year, when U.S. and Nigerian forces launched targeted airstrikes in northwestern Sokoto State against IS militants operating in the Sahel, who frequently use neighboring Niger as a base. Following that operation, Washington deployed hundreds of troops to Nigeria to provide ongoing tactical support and combat training to the local military.
