The Generals. L-R Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, Nigeria’s chief of defence staff, Gen. Dagvin Anderson, commander, U.S. Africa Command and Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, Nigeria’s chief of Army staff. DWA/DVIDS
The United States Africa Command has released footage from a coordinated counterterrorism operation in northeastern Nigeria which it said resulted in the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as one of the most senior leaders of the Islamic State group globally.
In a statement issued on Saturday, AFRICOM disclosed that the operation was carried out on Saturday, in coordination with the Government of Nigeria and under the directive of the President of the United States and the U.S. Secretary of War.
According to the command, the operation targeted what it described as a “significant presence of ISIS fighters in Northeastern Nigeria,” leading to the deaths of multiple high-ranking operatives.
AFRICOM said its preliminary assessment indicated that Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, identified as the Director of Global Operations for ISIS, was among those killed alongside several other senior commanders during the strike.
The U.S. military command added that no American service members were injured in the operation.
The release of the footage provides the clearest official confirmation yet of the scale and coordination involved in the joint military mission between Nigerian and American forces, which officials say was the product of months of intelligence sharing and operational planning.
Dagvin Anderson, Commander of AFRICOM, described the operation as a major success in the ongoing campaign against terrorism in the Lake Chad region.
“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,” Anderson said.
He noted that the operation underscored the growing security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States, stressing that the mission was made possible through sustained collaboration between the armed forces of both countries over recent months.
“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,” he stated.
The AFRICOM commander further vowed that both nations would continue pursuing extremist networks operating within the region.
“Make no mistake, our two nations will relentlessly pursue and neutralise terrorist threats and are committed to protecting our people and interests,” Anderson added.
AFRICOM described al-Minuki as a critical figure within ISIS’ international command structure, alleging that he played a major role in coordinating the group’s global operations.
According to the command, the slain leader was involved in providing strategic direction on propaganda and media operations, financial coordination, weapons development, explosives production, and drone manufacturing capabilities.
The U.S. military also accused him of being central to the planning of attacks and the coordination of hostage-taking operations linked to ISIS activities across different regions.
Although details of the exact location of the strike were not disclosed, the operation is believed to have taken place within the insurgency-ravaged northeast, where Nigerian troops have continued intensified offensives against terrorist factions operating around the Lake Chad Basin.
The development marks one of the most significant reported blows against ISIS-linked networks in West Africa in recent years and highlights increasing military collaboration between Abuja and Washington in the fight against terrorism.
Earlier, Bola Tinubu, Nigerian President had described the mission as a “daring joint operation” that dealt devastating losses to ISIS cells and command structures operating in the region.
