Two days after U.S. forces eliminated a top Islamic State leader in Nigeria, a second attack took out Islamic State fighters as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to protect Christians in Nigeria.
U.S. Africa Command wrote in a news release that “in coordination with the Government of Nigeria, conducted additional kinetic strikes against ISIS in Northeastern Nigeria.”
“Intelligence confirmed the targets were ISIS militants. Complete assessments are ongoing. No U.S. or Nigerian forces were harmed,” the release said.
“The removal of these terrorists diminishes the group’s capacity to plan attacks that threaten the safety and security of the U.S. and our partners.”
AFRICOM released a video of the attack on X.
#AFRICOM, in continued coordination with Nigeria, conducted kinetic strikes against ISIS fighters in NE Nigeria on May 17. No U.S. or Nigerian forces were harmed.
Full press release: https://t.co/7xuos8L1MK#AFRICOM #Nigeria #CounterTerrorism pic.twitter.com/qK8pyky7od
— U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) (@USAfricaCommand) May 18, 2026
On Friday, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that a joint U.S. attack killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, who Trump said was “second in command of ISIS globally.”
U.S. attacks killed about 20 Islamic State militants, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The attacks took place near the northeastern village of Metele.
“Terrorists who threaten our citizens, communities and national stability will be located and defeated,” Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba, a Nigerian military spokesman, said. “There will be no safe haven for terrorists anywhere in Nigeria.”
Last year, Trump said Nigeria was not doing enough to protect Christians. Since then, U.S. forces have been posted to Nigeria in order to assist its military and conduct targeted airstrikes against Muslim terrorists.
The United Nations has estimated that 8,000 to 12,000 Islamic State fighters operate in western Africa.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a post on X that the U.S. is putting teeth behind Trump’s vow to protect Nigerian Christians.
“Back in November 2025, President Trump declared to the world that we will help protect Christians in Nigeria and instructed the Department of War to prepare for action. So, for months, we hunted this top ISIS leader in Nigeria who was killing Christians, and we killed him—and his entire posse,” Hegseth wrote Saturday.
“In conjunction with Nigeria’s President, and at the direction of President Trump, U.S. Africa Command oversaw a precise operation to remove this terrorist. Abu-Bilal al-Minuki was the senior ISIS General Directorate of Provinces Emir — the number two for ISIS globally — responsible for overseeing the planning of attacks, directing hostage-taking and managing financial operations,” Hegseth continued.
“The removal of him and other ISIS personnel makes Americans safer by further degrading ISIS’s ability to plan and carry out attacks that threaten the U.S. homeland, American citizens, and innocent civilians,” Hegseth wrote.
“Operations like last night’s demonstrate the exceptional lethality, patience and skill of U.S. forces, amplified alongside willing and capable partners, to address shared threats. This should serve as a reminder that we will hunt down those who wish to harm Americans or innocent Christians, wherever they are.”
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