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US and Nigeria Confirm Death of Top ISIS Leader in Lake Chad Raid
In a major counterterrorism breakthrough, the United States and Nigeria have confirmed the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described by President Donald Trump as the global second-in-command of the Islamic State (ISIS). The joint operation, carried out in the Lake Chad Basin near Metele, Borno State, northeastern Nigeria, struck al-Minuki's fortified compound in a precision raid that also killed several of his lieutenants. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu called the mission a "daring cross-border operation" that dealt a heavy blow to the terrorist network's West African operations.
Al-Minuki, a Nigerian national born in 1982 in Borno State, was a former senior Boko Haram commander who pledged allegiance to ISIS in 2015. He rose through the ranks of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) after the death of former chief Mamman Nur in 2018, eventually becoming the head of ISIS's General Directorate of States, overseeing operations across the Sahel and West Africa. The US designated him a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in June 2023.
Background: The Rise of ISWAP and the Lake Chad Insurgency
ISWAP emerged as a splinter faction of Boko Haram in 2016 after the Islamic State's central command removed Abubakar Shekau for refusing to follow directives, including a ban on using children as suicide bombers. Since then, ISWAP has grown into the dominant jihadist force in the Chad Basin, fielding an estimated 8,000 to 12,000 fighters as of 2025. Unlike Boko Haram's indiscriminate violence, ISWAP adopted a strategy of winning local support by providing basic services and focusing attacks on Christian communities and security forces.
The group has been expanding its capabilities, including the use of weaponized commercial drones—a tactic first deployed in December 2024. Foreign fighters from the Levant have also been embedded within ISWAP units, providing training in drone operations, vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs), and cyber warfare. This internationalization of the conflict has raised alarms among security analysts, who warn that the Lake Chad region risks becoming a new epicenter of global jihad.
Al-Minuki's role was central to this expansion. He coordinated between ISIS's regional branches and provided strategic guidance on media operations, economic warfare, weapons development, and drone manufacturing. He was also linked to the 2018 kidnapping of over 100 schoolgirls from Dapchi, Yobe State. The Lake Chad Basin security crisis has seen multiple attacks in recent months, including an ISWAP raid in April 2025 that killed dozens of civilians in eastern Nigeria.
The Operation: A Three-Hour Night Raid
The joint operation involved months of intelligence gathering, including signals intelligence, communications monitoring, and phone intercepts dating back to December 2025. Nigerian and US forces tracked al-Minuki across multiple locations, including Abuja and Maiduguri, before pinpointing his hideout in Metele. The three-hour night mission, conducted between midnight and 4 a.m. local time, involved precision strikes on the compound. The Nigerian military reported zero casualties among the assault force.
President Trump announced the operation on his Truth Social platform, stating: "With his removal, ISIS's global operation is greatly diminished." He thanked the Nigerian government for its cooperation. President Tinubu confirmed the strike, saying it had killed al-Minuki and "several of his lieutenants." The Nigerian Presidency later dismissed skepticism about the operation, with Special Adviser Bayo Onanuga stating that authorities were "100 percent certain" of the kill, backed by extensive intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) efforts.
This is the second major joint US-Nigeria operation against ISIS targets in recent months. On December 25, 2025, the US launched Tomahawk cruise missile strikes on Islamic State positions in Sokoto State, northwestern Nigeria, in retaliation for the group's targeting of Christian communities. The US airstrikes on ISIS in Nigeria underscored Washington's growing military engagement in the region.
Impact and Implications for Global ISIS Network
Al-Minuki's death represents one of the most significant blows to ISWAP since its inception. Security experts say it creates a leadership vacuum that will disrupt the group's funding, logistics, and coordination in the short term. However, they caution that ISWAP has proven resilient to leadership losses due to its decentralized command structure and deep local embedment. The group also benefits from a growing ransom economy in Nigeria, which provides a steady revenue stream independent of ISIS central command.
The killing comes amid a broader reconfiguration of the Islamic State's global network. The group's current caliph, Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, appointed in August 2023, is believed to have relocated from the Middle East to Somalia, according to unconfirmed reports. In March 2025, US and Iraqi forces killed Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifai (Abu Khadijah), ISIS's chief of global operations, in Anbar province. These successive leadership decapitations suggest a pattern of systematic targeting by coalition forces, but also reflect ISIS's shift toward African affiliates as its core in Syria and Iraq has been degraded.
In Europe, ISIS remains the largest jihadist threat, according to the December 2025 report by the Netherlands' National Coordinator for Terrorismebestrijding en Veiligheid (NCTV). The report notes that while attacks in Europe are less frequent, the threat persists through online radicalization and returning foreign fighters. The ISIS threat to Europe in 2025 remains a key concern for intelligence agencies across the continent.
Expert Analysis and Regional Reactions
Analysts have described al-Minuki as a "shadow commander" who operated largely in obscurity but wielded significant influence over ISIS operations across West Africa and the Sahel. "His death is a major operational setback for ISWAP, but the group has a deep bench of mid-level commanders who can step up," said a security researcher quoted by Al Jazeera. "The underlying drivers of the insurgency—poverty, weak governance, and communal grievances—remain unaddressed."
Regional governments have welcomed the operation but face ongoing challenges. The Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), comprising troops from Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria, continues to battle ISWAP and Boko Haram remnants across the Lake Chad region. In April 2025, ISWAP killed dozens in an attack on a fishing community in eastern Nigeria, and in March 2025, bombings in Maiduguri left multiple casualties. The group's use of drones and its ability to coordinate with other jihadist factions, including the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (IS-GS), complicate counterterrorism efforts.
President Tinubu has faced domestic pressure to address the security crisis, with critics arguing that military operations alone cannot end the insurgency. The Nigerian government has emphasized the importance of joint operations with the US and other partners, but experts stress that broader governance reforms, economic development, and community engagement are essential for long-term stability.
FAQ: Key Questions About the ISWAP Leader Killing
Who was Abu-Bilal al-Minuki?
Abu-Bilal al-Minuki was a senior ISIS commander and the global second-in-command of the Islamic State, according to US President Donald Trump. A Nigerian national from Borno State, he was a former Boko Haram leader who joined ISIS in 2015 and rose to lead ISWAP's operations across West Africa and the Sahel. He was designated a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the US in 2023.
How was al-Minuki killed?
He was killed in a joint US-Nigeria military operation on May 16, 2026, in Metele, Borno State, northeastern Nigeria. The operation involved a precision strike on his fortified compound near Lake Chad, following months of intelligence gathering. Several of his lieutenants were also killed.
What is ISWAP?
The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) is a militant group and administrative division of the Islamic State, primarily active in the Chad Basin. It split from Boko Haram in 2016 and has since become the dominant jihadist force in the region, with an estimated 8,000–12,000 fighters. ISWAP controls territory across northeastern Nigeria and parts of Cameroon, Chad, and Niger.
What does this mean for the fight against ISIS?
The killing disrupts ISWAP's command and control in the short term and is a significant counterterrorism achievement. However, ISIS has proven resilient to leadership losses, and the group's decentralized structure and local recruitment base mean it can recover. Analysts warn that military operations must be paired with governance and development efforts to achieve lasting security.
How does this affect Europe?
ISIS remains the largest jihadist threat to Europe, according to the NCTV. While the killing of a senior leader may disrupt global coordination, the threat from online radicalization and returning fighters persists. European intelligence agencies continue to monitor the situation closely.
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