Abu-Bilal al-Minuki: ISIL’s shadow commander in West Africa

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu announced the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as the second-in-command of ISIL, during a joint Nigerian-US military operation in the Lake Chad Basin. Al-Minuki was killed along with several of his lieutenants in a strike on his compound in Metele, Borno state, northeast Nigeria. The operation was described as a meticulously planned precision air-land operation carried out between midnight and 4am. Al-Minuki was a key operational and strategic figure who provided guidance to ISIL entities on media operations, economic warfare, and weapons manufacturing.