American and Nigerian forces killed a leader of the Islamic State group in Nigeria in a joint operation carried out Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump said early Saturday.
“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,” Trump said a social media post that offered few details.
Al-Mainuki was viewed as the key figure in Islamic State organizing and finance, and had been plotting attacks against the United States and its interests, the Associated Press reported, citing an unnamed official. Trump called him “the most active terrorist in the world.”
“He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans,” Trump said in his post. “With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished.”
He did not specify where the attack took place.
Trump, who has previously accused the West African country of failing to protect Christians from Islamist militants, thanked the Nigerian government for its partnership in the operation. The Nigerian government denies discriminating against any religion, saying its security forces target armed groups that attack both Christians and Muslims.
In November, Trump threatened possible sanctions against Nigeria, declaring it a “country of particular concern” in terms of religious freedom — a classification Nigeria’s president pushed back on.