Trump Announces Major Victory: IS Deputy Abu Bilal al-Munuki Eliminated in Joint US-Nigeria Operation

Translation result.On May 15 (local time) on Truth Social, President Donald Trump announced that U.S. and Nigerian forces had eliminated Islamic State deputy Abu Bilal al-Munuki. Reuters reported that Trump wrote, “Tonight, at my direction, brave U.S. and Nigerian forces flawlessly executed a carefully planned, highly complex operation to remove a terrorist who had been operating actively around the world from the battlefield,” and said al-Munuki was killed. Trump added that al-Munuki “may have thought he could hide in Africa, but he didn’t know we had sources tracking what he was doing.” The Biden administration designated al-Munuki a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” in 2023. Trump said al-Munuki can no longer threaten African civilians or help plan attacks targeting Americans, and that removing him has significantly degraded Islamic State global operations. He has also signaled possible U.S. military intervention, citing persecution of Christians in Nigeria, where extremist attacks are common. Under Trump’s orders, U.S. forces coordinated with Nigerian troops and struck Islamic State positions inside Nigeria on Dec. 25 of last year.