Senior IS leader killed in joint operation, US and Nigeria say

Nigerian and US forces have killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, a senior Islamic State (IS) leader, in a joint operation targeting his fortified base in Metele, Borno State, within the Lake Chad Basin. Al-Minuki, described as the "second in command of ISIS globally" and the "most active terrorist in the world," was killed alongside several of his lieutenants during a strike conducted after months of intelligence gathering. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu hailed the operation as a "daring joint operation that dealt a heavy blow" to IS, emphasizing the growing cooperation between the two countries in combating extremist violence. Al-Minuki, designated a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2023, had been promoted to head the General Directorate of States, making him one of the highest-ranking figures in the global IS hierarchy. He oversaw IS-linked operations across the Sahel and West Africa, orchestrating attacks targeting civilians and minority communities. The military linked him to the 2018 Dapchi schoolgirls kidnapping, where over 100 girls were abducted from a boarding school in northeastern Nigeria. Before pledging allegiance to IS in 2015, he was a senior Boko Haram commander, a group that began its insurgency in 2009 aiming to establish an Islamic caliphate under Sharia law. The Lake Chad Basin, spanning Nigeria, Chad, Niger, and Cameroon, has long been a stronghold for Boko Haram and its splinter faction, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). The region’s complex waterways and swamplands provide a strategic base for jihadist groups. The successful operation, which reportedly resulted in no casualties or loss of assets among Nigerian and US forces, underscores intensified military collaboration aimed at curbing the rising threat of IS attacks in sub-Saharan Africa, where around 90% of IS assaults now occur. This development marks a significant setback for IS’s regional operations and leadership structure. It also highlights the ongoing challenges Nigeria faces in addressing insurgency and terrorism, which have destabilized large parts of the country and neighboring states for over a decade. The joint operation reflects a broader international effort to dismantle extremist networks and restore security in a volatile region critical to global counterterrorism efforts.