US Forces Eliminate Nigerian ISIS Chieftain Responsible for Massacres of Christians
U.S. and Nigerian forces conducted a joint operation on May 16, 2026, that resulted in the death of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, the second-in-command of ISIS and a key figure in the group's global operations. Al-Minuki was accused of orchestrating massacres of Christians in Nigeria and overseeing ISIS's media, financial, and weapons development activities. No U.S. personnel were harmed in the mission, which was praised by U.S. leadership as a major blow to ISIS.
- ▪U.S. Africa Command, in coordination with Nigerian forces, killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki during a targeted operation in northeastern Nigeria.
- ▪Al-Minuki served as ISIS's director of global operations and was responsible for strategic guidance on media, finances, and weapons development.
- ▪President Donald Trump directed the operation, which he described as a fulfillment of his commitment to protect Christians in Nigeria.
- ▪Secretary of War Pete Hegseth stated that the U.S. had been tracking al-Minuki for months following a November 2025 directive to act.
- ▪No American service members were injured during the mission, which U.S. officials said significantly weakened ISIS's global capabilities.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
US Forces Eliminate Nigerian ISIS Chieftain Responsible for Massacres of Christians By streiff | 10:26 AM on May 16, 2026 The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of RedState.com. AP Photo/Sunday Aghaeze Overnight Friday, U.S. and Nigerian forces raided the headquarters of the Islamic State's second-in-command, killing him and several of his key subordinate leaders. U.S. AFRICOM made the announcement: Advertisement googletag.cmd.push(function () { googletag.display("div-gpt-300x250_2"); //googletag.pubads().refresh([gptAdSlot["div-gpt-300x250_2"]]) }); At the direction of the President of the United States and the Secretary of War, and in coordination with the Government of Nigeria, U.S.
…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at RedState.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from RedState
