Nigeria, US forces eliminate ISIS second-in-command in Lake Chad joint strike

From Joel Oladele, Abuja

A high-value Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) commander, Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, has been killed in a coordinated joint operation involving the Nigerian military and the United States Africa Command in the Lake Chad region.

The operation, which was carried out earlier on Saturday, followed what authorities described as meticulous planning and precision execution by the armed forces of both countries.

According to a statement signed by the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja, Kimiebi Ebienfa, the strike led to the death of Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, identified as the second-in-command of ISIS in the region.

The militant commander was said to have played a central role in coordinating recent attacks on military formations in Nigeria’s North-East, particularly within the Lake Chad Basin, an area long plagued by insurgent activities.

Security sources said the joint mission targeted a hideout used by the terrorist leader and his network, leading to his elimination in what officials described as a significant blow to the operational capacity of ISIS-linked fighters in the region.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the statement, praised the success of the operation and commended the cooperation between both militaries, describing it as a demonstration of strengthened security collaboration in the fight against terrorism.

Ebienfa said the government acknowledged the role of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in supporting ongoing efforts to secure the country and strengthen international security partnerships.

“Special thanks to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his commitment to keeping Nigeria safe and high commendations to the Government of the United States of America for their partnership and support in the fight against terrorism in Nigeria,” the statement read.

The Nigerian government also reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining joint counter-terrorism operations with international partners, particularly in the Lake Chad Basin, which has remained a key operational corridor for extremist groups.

It is believed that the elimination of a senior ISIS figure could disrupt the group’s command structure in the region and temporarily weaken its ability to coordinate attacks against military and civilian targets.

The Lake Chad area, which spans parts of Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger, has remained a hotspot for insurgency, with regional and international forces carrying out coordinated operations to degrade terrorist networks.