ISIS Number Two Killed: Abu-Bilal al-Minuki Dead After US-Nigeria Night Raid in 2026

# ISIS Number Two Killed: Abu-Bilal al-Minuki Dead After US-Nigeria Night Raid in 2026

> **Quick answer:** Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, the second-in-command of ISIS globally and Emir of the General Directorate of Provinces, was killed Saturday in a joint US-Nigeria precision air-land operation at his compound in Metele, Borno state, northeastern Nigeria. Trump called it "flawlessly executed." Several of al-Minuki's lieutenants were also killed. No US forces were harmed. Security analysts describe it as the most significant counterterrorism strike since the killing of al-Qaeda's Ayman al-Zawahiri in 2022.

Abu-Bilal al-Minuki ISIS killed Nigeria May 2026 — that is now the confirmed headline as both President Donald Trump and Nigerian President Bola Tinubu announced the successful elimination of the man Trump called "the most active terrorist in the world." The strike occurred between midnight and 4am local time Saturday in the Lake Chad Basin, and represents a seismic blow to ISIS's global command structure.

## What Happened: The Metele Night Raid

The Nigerian army described the operation as "a meticulously planned and highly complex precision air-land operation" conducted in close coordination with US Africa Command (AFRICOM). Forces hit al-Minuki's compound in Metele, a town in Borno state, northeastern Nigeria — the heartland of ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province) operations in the Lake Chad Basin.

The timeline: The raid ran from midnight to approximately 4am local Saturday morning, May 16, 2026. Trump announced the result on Truth Social on Friday evening US time, with the Nigerian presidency issuing its own confirmation shortly after, stating that "early assessments confirm the elimination" of al-Minuki and that "several of his lieutenants" were also killed.