The Armed Forces of Nigeria, in collaboration with United States forces, have killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, a senior Islamic State commander described by military authorities as one of the world’s most active terrorists, during a coordinated counterterrorism operation in Borno State.
The Joint Task Force North-East, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), confirmed on Saturday that the high-profile terrorist leader was neutralised during a precision air-land assault conducted in the Metele area of the Lake Chad Basin axis.
According to the Media Information Officer of OPHK, Lt.-Col. Sani Uba, the operation followed sustained intelligence gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance efforts carried out jointly with the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM).
Uba said the operation targeted a concealed and heavily fortified terrorist enclave and resulted in the elimination of Al-Minuki, also known as Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Ali al-Mainuki, alongside several of his lieutenants and other fighters.
“The operation commenced at about 12:01 a.m. and ended at about 4:00 a.m. on May 16, 2026, involving precision air strikes supported by ground forces,” Uba stated.
He added that special forces were strategically deployed to block escape routes and support the air component during the coordinated assault, noting that the mission was executed without casualties or equipment losses among Nigerian and allied forces.
Military authorities described Al-Minuki as a United States-designated Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), who was sanctioned in June 2023 under Executive Order 13224 for allegedly coordinating funding and operational activities for extremist networks across the Sahel and Lake Chad region.
In a separate statement, the Defence Headquarters disclosed that intelligence reports indicated Al-Minuki played a critical operational and strategic role within ISIS, providing guidance on media operations, economic warfare, weapons production, explosives and drone development for terrorist networks operating outside Nigeria.
The Defence Headquarters also revealed that intelligence suggested the slain terrorist may have been elevated in February 2026 to the position of Head of the General Directorate of States, making him the second most senior figure in the global ISIS hierarchy.
“His death removes a critical node through which ISIS coordinated and directed operations across different regions of the world,” the military said.
The DHQ further linked Al-Minuki to several terrorist activities across West Africa, including the 2018 Dapchi schoolgirls kidnapping. It stated that before aligning with ISIS in 2015, he was a prominent Boko Haram commander and later facilitated the movement of fighters to Libya between 2015 and 2016 in support of ISIS operations in North Africa.
The military added that Al-Minuki previously served as the Nigeria-based al-Furqan GDP Office Emir in 2023, overseeing ISIS-linked activities across the Sahel and West Africa, including attacks targeting civilians and minority communities.
The Defence Headquarters described the operation as a major breakthrough in the fight against terrorism in Nigeria and the wider West African region, stressing that it demonstrated the growing effectiveness of intelligence-sharing and military collaboration between Nigeria and the United States.
“The operation equally underscores the importance of our Nigeria-United States collaboration, intelligence sharing and coordinated military action in defeating transnational terrorist networks,” the statement added.
Military authorities said Battle Damage Assessment was still ongoing, while follow-up exploitation operations had commenced to clear remaining terrorist elements from the area and consolidate gains made during the operation.
