President Bola Tinubu has confirmed the killing of a senior Islamic State leader in a joint counterterrorism operation conducted overnight by the Nigerian and United States (US) armed forces in the Lake Chad Basin.
Mr Tinubu, in a statement earlier on Saturday, said early assessments indicate that Mr Al-Manuki and several of his lieutenants were eliminated during a strike on his compound.
“Overnight, Nigeria and the United States recorded a significant example of effective collaboration in the fight against terrorism.
“Our determined Nigerian Armed Forces, working closely with the Armed Forces of the United States, conducted a daring joint operation that dealt a heavy blow to the ranks of the Islamic State.
“Early assessments confirm the elimination of the wanted IS senior leader, Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, also known as Abu-Mainok, along with several of his lieutenants, during a strike on his compound in the Lake Chad Basin,” Mr Tinubu said.
“Nigeria appreciates this partnership with the United States in advancing our shared security objectives. I extend my sincere gratitude to President Trump for his leadership and unwavering support in this effort.”
Mr Tinubu commended the personnel involved on both sides for their “professionalism and courage,” adding that he looked forward to more decisive strikes against all terrorist enclaves across the nation.
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The US President Donald Trump had earlier announced that, at his direction, brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission to eliminate the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield.
“Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing.
“He will no longer terrorise the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans. With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished. Thank you to the government of Nigeria for your partnership on this operation,” Mr Trump posted on his Truth Social account on Saturday.
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The Lake Chad Basin has been a focal point of counterterrorism efforts since Boko Haram began its insurgency in 2009.
A splinter faction later pledged allegiance to ISIS. It became the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which has carried out attacks on military positions and civilian communities in the region.
Earlier in May, terrorists attacked a military position on Barka Tolorom island in the Lake Chad region and killed 23 Chadian soldiers.
Confirming the assault, which took place on 4 May, military authorities in Chad said that several of the terrorists were also killed. At the time, Al Jazeera reported that at least 26 soldiers were also wounded in the attack.
The attack is believed to have been carried out by either fighters of Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’Awati wal-Jihad (JAS), otherwise known as Boko Haram, or fighters of the ISWAP is the latest in a long line of deadly raids across the Lake Chad Basin, a vast, marshy terror hotbed where the borders of Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon converge.
