US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has said that Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, described as the second-in-command of ISIS, was killed during a joint US–Nigeria military operation in the Lake Chad Basin.
Hegseth claimed Al-Minuki was heavily involved in attacks on Christians in Nigeria, linking the operation to broader US efforts to counter extremist violence in the region.
Al-Minuki was reportedly killed on May 15 during a coordinated strike on his compound.
Speaking during a cabinet meeting at the White House on Wednesday, Hegseth said the mission aligns with President Donald Trump’s directive to protect persecuted Christian communities.
US forces began targeting Islamist militant networks in Nigeria late last year following allegations of widespread attacks on Christians.
“Maybe a year ago, [the president] heard the call of Nigerian Christians who were being targeted and killed by ISIS. … And he said, ‘Pete, I want the War Department to focus on ensuring that we do everything we can to protect those Christians,’” Hegseth said, according to a Pentagon report.
“And, over the past month — and there hasn’t been much coverage of this — we killed ISIS’ No. 2 [commander], who was most responsible for killing Christians and trying to target the U.S. homeland.”
President Bola Tinubu had earlier confirmed Al-Minuki’s death, adding that several of his associates were also eliminated during the operation.
Hegseth also stated that intelligence gathered over recent months has enabled US forces to eliminate hundreds of ISIS-linked fighters allegedly involved in attacks on civilians.
He added that President Trump remains committed to efforts aimed at protecting Christians in Nigeria.
