How US, Nigerian forces kill ISIS No. 2 in three-hour firefight by officials

American and Nigerian troops exchanged fire with ISIS terrorists for more than three hours before taking out Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, the militant group’s second-in-command, according to The New York Times.

President Donald Trump announced Al-Minuki’s death, which President Bola Tinubu confirmed Saturday morning. Trump described the operation as a “complex mission” carried out jointly by Nigerian and U.S. forces.

Details have begun to emerge. The New York Times reports that roughly two dozen Nigerian and American special operations commandos—including members of the Navy’s SEAL Team 6—conducted a helicopter-borne assault that killed Al-Minuki. Citing three U.S. officials, the publication says the commandos struck Al-Minuki and about three dozen fighters on two small islands in Lake Chad, which borders Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, and Chad—all four nations battling a jihadist insurgency.

The officials said the U.S. military initially intended to capture Al-Minuki but instead killed him in an airstrike when it became clear he would not surrender, opting to prevent an escape. The strikes targeted his compound in the Lake Chad Basin. Analysts are now examining cell phones, laptops, and other electronics recovered from the raid for intelligence on recruitment, operations, and finances of ISIS branches in Africa and beyond.

No American or Nigerian casualties were reported. According to The New York Times, the officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss operational matters.

Tinubu said “several lieutenants” of the ISIS second-in-command also died in the mission, and he expects more “decisive strikes.” In 2023, the U.S. designated Al-Minuki as a specially designated global terrorist (SDGT). Before his death, he held top roles in militant organizations, coordinating international financing and strategic communications.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled:  Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

See author's posts