U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) released dramatic video footage today, Saturday, of a precision airstrike in northeastern Nigeria that killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described by US President Donald Trump as the second-in-command of ISIS globally and the group’s director of global operations.
The overnight operation, conducted in close coordination with Nigerian forces, targeted al-Minuki’s compound in the Lake Chad Basin region of Borno State. Initial assessments confirm he and several lieutenants were eliminated with no U.S. or Nigerian casualties reported.
Trump called the mission “meticulously planned and very complex” and a “complete success,” praising the joint effort for striking a major blow to ISIS networks in Africa and beyond.
Thermal infrared video shared by AFRICOM shows multiple large explosions lighting up structures in the target area as U.S. aircraft engaged ISIS fighters. The footage, captured from an overhead platform, highlights the intensity of the strikes on what officials described as a significant militant compound.
Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu confirmed the operation in a statement, describing it as a “daring joint operation” that dealt a heavy blow to ISIS activities in the Sahel and West Africa. Al-Minuki, also known as Abu-Mainok and a Borno State native, had been linked to high-profile attacks, including operations tied to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). He was designated a U.S. “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” in 2023 for coordinating funding, operations, and attacks across the region.
The strike comes amid deepening U.S.-Nigeria security cooperation. It follows earlier U.S. actions against ISIS in Nigeria, including Christmas Day 2025 airstrikes in Sokoto State. Nigerian officials noted that previous claims of al-Minuki’s death in 2024 referred to a different fighter using the same alias.
Analysts say the elimination of a senior figure like al-Minuki disrupts ISIS command structures, funding channels, and operational guidance to African affiliates. Trump hailed the mission as evidence that terrorists can no longer find safe havens in Africa.
The operation underscores the Trump administration’s continued focus on counterterrorism partnerships in the region. No further details on the ground assault or the exact number of ISIS fighters killed have been released.