United States President Donald Trump announced on Saturday, May 16, that American forces, in coordination with the Nigerian military, had killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, a terrorist leader described as the second global leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The operation reportedly took place around the Lake Chad basin, a known terrorist hotspot in Nigeria. This marks the second joint military operation in the country within six months.
Abu-Bilal al-Minuki: The Latest High-Profile Killing
Al-Minuki is the latest world-wanted terrorist leader to be killed in Nigeria since the West African nation intensified its war against terrorism. His death adds to a list of notorious figures who have been eliminated in the country.
Abubakar Shekau
The late Boko Haram leader, also known as Abu Muhammad Abubakar bin Muhammad Shekau, was one of the most globally recognized terrorists. He led Boko Haram for over a decade and was designated a global terrorist, with a $7 million bounty placed on him by the United States. Shekau was responsible for numerous high-profile attacks, including the kidnapping of the Chibok schoolgirls and multiple bombings. He was killed in May 2021 during a clash with a rival terrorist group, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), in the Sambisa Forest in Borno. Reports indicate that he detonated a bomb vest to avoid capture. His death was confirmed by Nigerian officials, ISWAP fighters, and loyalists.
Mohammed Yusuf
Yusuf was the original founder of the Boko Haram terrorist group, established in the early 2000s. Also known as Ustaz Mohammed Yusuf or Abu Yusuf al-Barnawi, he was a radical preacher whose ideology fueled the insurgency. During the Boko Haram uprising in Maiduguri in 2009, he was arrested by Nigerian troops and handed over to the police. He reportedly died in police custody around July 2009, and his death is believed to have sparked the group's escalated activities under Shekau.
Abu Musab al-Barnawi
Al-Barnawi was the leader of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which split from Boko Haram and pledged allegiance to ISIS. The Nigerian military announced his killing in 2021, describing him as a key figure in the West African ISIS affiliate. Additionally, Nigerian forces have eliminated several other high-profile ISWAP and Boko Haram commanders through air strikes and ground operations, though these individuals were not on the list of the world's most wanted.
