In a landmark joint counter-terrorism operation of historic significance, troops of the Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), in close coordination with the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), executed a meticulously planned and highly complex precision air-land operation that resulted in the neutralisation of Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, the Islamic State’s (ISIS) second-in-command globally and the most senior ISWAP commander operating in the Lake Chad Basin and Sahel region alongside several of his key lieutenants and multiple combatants.
Al-Minuki, also known as Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Ali al-Mainuki, was a US-designated Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), designated by the US Department of State on 8 June 2023 under Executive Order 13224 for his role as a leading official within ISIS’s General Directorate of Provinces, through which he channelled international funding and operational guidance to terror cells across the Sahel and the Lake Chad Islands in Northern Borno.
A statement signed by Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba media information officer joint task force north east operation hadin Kai said his elimination represents the single most consequential counter-terrorism outcome in the North East Theatre since the inception of Operation HADIN KAI.
The operation, which commenced at approximately 0001 hours and concluded at about 0400 hours today, Saturday 16 May 2026, was the culmination of a protracted joint intelligence effort involving legal intercept operations and sustained reconnaissance that achieved full target development and fidelity.
Following confirmed intelligence that Al-Minuki and his international terrorist cell had established a concealed and fortified enclave at Metele in Borno State within Sector 3 OPHK, the US partners in conjunction with OPHK conducted precision air – ground operations on the confirmed location while Special Forces were deployed to provide security and deny escape routes as well as to extract any of the Teams or air platforms in distress.
The operation involved several air platforms in a synchronised air-land configuration that left the terrorists with no avenue of escape. The operation was executed following authorisation from the Military High Command, underscoring the highest levels of institutional coordination and strategic decision-making that underpinned the success of this mission.
The operation was executed with zero casualties or loss of assets, a testament to the exceptional planning, superior tactical execution and the deepening synergy between Nigerian and US military forces in the global fight against terrorism. Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki has been confirmed neutralised alongside several of his lieutenants and multiple combatants.
Battle Damage Assessment is ongoing, while troops are currently conducting aggressive follow-on exploitation operations to decimate identified splinter cells and prevent any attempt at reconstitution. The President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, acknowledged the success of the operation and publicly commended the partnership with the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
This decisive operation reaffirms OPHK’s position as the foremost counter-terrorism formation in sub-Saharan Africa and sends an unequivocal message that terrorists will find neither sanctuary nor safety within the North East Theatre.