Trump says ISIS second in command Abu-Bilal al-Minuki eliminated: 'He will not terrorise any more'
Trump said Abu-Bilal al-Minuki will no longer terrorise the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans. Trump said with his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished.
US President Donald Trump on Saturday said the brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission to eliminate the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield. He said Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing.
Abu-Bilal al-Minuki will no longer terrorise the people of Africa: Trump
Trump said Abu-Bilal al-Minuki will no longer terrorise the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans. He said with his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished. Thank you to the Government of Nigeria for your partnership on this operation.
“"Tonight, at my direction, brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission to eliminate the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield. Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing. He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans. With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished. Thank you to the Government of Nigeria for your partnership on this operation,” he said.
US designated Abu-Bilal al-Minuki as Global Terrorist in 2023
In June 2023, under then-President Joe Biden, the US State Department designated Abu-Bilal al-Minuki as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. He was identified as a leader of ISIS with multiple aliases, including Abubakar Mainok and Abor Mainok. As per the State Department, the designation stated that individuals associated with ISIS were subject to sanctions due to their role in terrorist activities and global operations of the group.
All you need to know about Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki
Also known as Abu Bakr Muhammad al-Mainuki, Abu-Bilal al-Minuki was based primarily in the Sahel region of Africa, according to a report by Counter Extremism Project.
It should be noted that the US State Department classified him as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) in June 2023 due to his role in channelling international funding and guiding terror cells for the Islamic State.
The US President had last year said that Christians were being persecuted in Nigeria - a claim denied by the African nation's government. Days after his allegation, the US conducted a powerful and deadly strike on alleged Islamic State camps in northwestern Nigeria and justified the strike, claiming that ISIS terrorists were killing innocent Christians.
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