President Trump Confirms ‘Flawlessly Executed’ Mission Killed Top ISIS Leader

Even with all the other threats from various regions around the world, the Trump administration hasn’t forgotten the ongoing danger presented by the ISIS terror group.

And in a successful operation late Friday, President Donald Trump confirmed that one of the organization’s top leaders was killed while attempting to hide out in Africa

Fox News provided the details:

“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,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

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“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,” Trump continued. “He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans.”

Trump also thanked the Nigerian government for its cooperation in the mission.

“With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished,” he added.

The mission also elicited a statement from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth: 

Last night U.S. forces, in coordination with the Armed Forces of Nigeria, killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki and other ISIS leaders.

Back in November 2025, President Trump declared to the world that we will help protect Christians in Nigeria and instructed the Department of War to…

— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) May 16, 2026

Here’s a full transcript:

Last night U.S. forces, in coordination with the Armed Forces of Nigeria, killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki and other ISIS leaders.

Back in November 2025, President Trump declared to the world that we will help protect Christians in Nigeria and instructed the Department of War to prepare for action. So, for months, we hunted this top ISIS leader in Nigeria who was killing Christians, and we killed him—and his entire posse.

In conjunction with Nigeria’s President, and at the direction of President Trump, U.S. Africa Command oversaw a precise operation to remove this terrorist.

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Abu-Bilal al-Minuki was the senior ISIS General Directorate of Provinces Emir — the number two for ISIS globally — responsible for overseeing the planning of attacks, directing hostage-taking and managing financial operations. The removal of him and other ISIS personnel makes Americans safer by further degrading ISIS’s ability to plan and carry out attacks that threaten the U.S. homeland, American citizens, and innocent civilians.  

Operations like last night’s demonstrate the exceptional lethality, patience and skill of U.S. forces, amplified alongside willing and capable partners, to address shared threats. This should serve as a reminder that we will hunt down those who wish to harm Americans or innocent Christians, wherever they are.

Many other social media users celebrated the news:

glad to see isis taking a hit like this

my brother's over there serving and it's good to know we're making progress

— GOP Patriot Girl 🇺🇸 (@gopatriotgirl) May 16, 2026

Big win for the US and Nigerian forces! When leaders take decisive action, the world becomes a safer place. God bless our military! 🇺🇸💪 #USA

— Ethan 🇺🇸 🌟 (@khurramNia71977) May 16, 2026

They turned his compound into a parking lot in 3 seconds flat

— William Wolf (@WilhelmWulf) May 16, 2026

CNN added details about Nigeria’s response:

Nigeria’s State House, the office of the President of Nigeria, also confirmed the operation in a statement. Nigerian and US forces “conducted a daring joint operation that dealt a heavy blow to the ranks of the Islamic State,” it said.

“Early assessments confirm the elimination of the wanted IS senior leader, Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, also known as Abu-Mainok, along with several of his lieutenants, during a strike on his compound in the Lake Chad Basin,” it added.

Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu thanked Trump in a statement Saturday morning.

“Nigeria appreciates this partnership with the United States in advancing our shared security objectives,” he wrote on social media. “I extend my sincere gratitude to President Trump for his leadership and unwavering support in this effort.”

Here’s some footage of the operation:

Last night's operation targeted a significant presence of ISIS fighters in Northeastern Nigeria eliminating multiple high value individuals including Abu-Bilal al-Minuki. pic.twitter.com/lNj4AMSITH

— U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) (@USAfricaCommand) May 16, 2026