US and Nigeria Announce Killing of Islamic State Second-in-Command

US President Donald Trump and Nigerian President Bola Tinubu have announced the death of a senior Islamic State leader described as “the most active terrorist in the world” in a joint US-Nigerian operation.

The individual, identified as Abu Bilal al-Muki (also referred to as Abu Bulal al-Manuki and Al-Muki), was the second-in-command of ISIS globally and is believed to have overseen the group’s operations across Africa and beyond. He was a Nigerian national.

President Trump made the announcement on Saturday, stating that al-Muki had thought he could hide in Africa. “But little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing,” Trump said. “He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa or help plan operations to target Americans.”

President Tinubu confirmed the death. According to the Nigerian army, the strike was carried out by ground and air forces in the northeast of Borno State in close coordination with US Africa Command.

Borno State is the epicenter of a 17-year insurgency by the Islamic State and its rival group Boko Haram that has killed thousands and displaced millions.

The operation comes amid strengthened US-Nigeria cooperation against terrorism. Last year, President Trump accused Nigeria of not doing enough to protect Christians from jihadist groups. On Christmas Day 2025, the US carried out an air strike against what it described as an Islamic State stronghold in northern Nigeria. Hundreds of US troops have since been deployed in the country to support and train the Nigerian armed forces.

Trump highlighted the shifting dynamics of global terrorism, saying: “Today, the epicenter of global terrorism is in Africa. ISIS leadership is African. We’ve also been working very closely with Nigeria who in the last few months opened up with a very positive engagement with intel sharing and ability to go after and target some of these terrorist threats.”

The Nigerian government has welcomed the increased cooperation. Following Saturday’s announcement, President Tinubu thanked Trump and expressed hope for more decisive strikes against all terrorist enclaves across the nation.