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.
“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.”