A high-risk joint counterterrorism operation conducted by Nigerian and United States special forces has resulted in the killing of Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, the reported second-in-command of ISIS in Africa, following a fierce three-hour battle in the Lake Chad Basin.
The operation, described by officials as one of the most sophisticated anti-terror missions carried out in the region in recent years, involved helicopter-borne assaults, coordinated ground raids, and precision air strikes targeting terrorist hideouts on remote islands within Lake Chad.
According to reports from American officials familiar with the mission, approximately two dozen elite Nigerian and US special operations troops participated in the assault, including operatives believed to be from the US Navy’s SEAL Team 6. The mission was aimed at neutralising Al-Minuki and dismantling a network of ISIS fighters operating within the volatile Lake Chad region.
Lake Chad, which borders Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, has long served as a strategic sanctuary for extremist groups due to its difficult terrain, isolated islands, and porous borders.
Military sources disclosed that Al-Minuki was initially intended to be captured alive. However, the situation reportedly escalated after the ISIS commander refused to surrender and attempted to evade arrest during the raid. To prevent his escape, forces carried out a targeted air strike on his compound.
The assault triggered prolonged gunfire exchanges between the terrorists and the combined US-Nigerian forces, lasting for more than three hours before the militants were finally overwhelmed.
Several fighters and senior lieutenants loyal to Al-Minuki were also reportedly killed during the operation.
No casualties were recorded among Nigerian or American troops involved in the mission.
Security analysts believe the operation could significantly weaken ISIS operations in West Africa, particularly within the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), where Al-Minuki allegedly played a central role in financing, strategic communications, and recruitment activities.
Following the raid, security personnel reportedly recovered mobile phones, laptop computers, and other electronic devices from the terrorists’ camp. Intelligence experts are now analysing the materials for information relating to ISIS financing networks, operational planning, recruitment pipelines, and possible international links between African ISIS branches and the wider global terror network.
US President publicly confirmed the success of the operation, describing it as a “complex mission” jointly executed by American and Nigerian forces.
President also confirmed the killing of Al-Minuki, praising the cooperation between both countries and commending the Nigerian Armed Forces for what he described as a major victory against terrorism.
Tinubu further stated that the operation eliminated several top commanders linked to ISIS activities in the Lake Chad Basin and expressed confidence that more decisive military actions would follow against terrorist networks threatening regional security.
Al-Minuki had been designated a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) by the United States government in 2023. Intelligence agencies had accused him of overseeing transnational extremist financing operations and coordinating propaganda activities for ISIS-linked groups across Africa.
Counterterrorism observers say the operation underscores growing military cooperation between Nigeria and the United States in confronting insurgency and extremist violence in the Sahel and Lake Chad regions.