Olusegun ARIYO
President Bola Tinubu and his counterpart in the United States, Donald Trump, have confirmed the killing of a senior Islamic State leader, Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, also known as Abu-Mainok, during a joint counterterrorism operation carried out by Nigerian and United States forces in the Lake Chad Basin.
Confirming the development, on his Twitter handle, Trump hailed the planning and execution of the ISIS Commander, Al-Manuki, while in a statement issued from the State House on Saturday, Tinubu described the overnight operation as a “significant example of effective collaboration” between both countries in the fight against terrorism.
He said, “Counterterrorism Operation Against ISIS senior leader, Abu-Bilal Al-Manuk
“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.”
“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.
“I commend the personnel involved on both sides for their professionalism and courage, and I look forward to more decisive strikes against all terrorist enclaves across the nation,” he stated.
Urban Express News had reported that the United States President Donald Trump announced that American forces, in collaboration with the Nigerian Armed Forces, carried out a joint military operation that resulted in the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, identified as the second-in-command of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, ISIS, worldwide.
In a statement posted on his Truth Social account on Saturday, Trump said the operation was the outcome of extensive intelligence gathering and strategic coordination aimed at tracking the activities of the terrorist leader in Africa.
