Trump Announces Elimination of the Second-in-Command of ISIS

SadaNews - On Saturday, President Donald Trump announced the elimination of Abu Bilal al-Minouki, the second-in-command of the global leadership of ISIS, in an operation carried out by American and Nigerian forces.

In a post on his "Truth Social" account, Trump wrote: "Tonight, at my direction, the brave American forces and the Nigerian armed forces successfully executed a highly complex and meticulously planned mission to eliminate the world's most dangerous terrorist.

He added, "Abu Bilal al-Minouki, the number two in ISIS globally, thought he could hide in Africa, but he did not know that we had resources that informed us of his movements."

He continued, saying: "Minouki will no longer terrorize the peoples of Africa, nor will he assist in planning operations targeting Americans."

Trump concluded his post by saying, "With his removal, ISIS's global operations have significantly diminished.. Thank you to the Nigerian government for their partnership in this operation."

Nigeria had faced criticism from Trump earlier, as he claimed that Christians there are being persecuted, which the African country’s government denies.

The United States had launched airstrikes on what it described as Islamist bases in northwestern Nigeria late last year following Trump's allegations.