US President Donald Trump said early Saturday that Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, had been eliminated in an operation conducted by US and Nigerian forces.
"Tonight, at my 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," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
"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 added.
Trump also thanked the Nigerian government for its partnership in the operation.
Trump scrutinizes Nigeria over persecution of Christians
Nigeria had earlier come under scrutiny from Trump, who had said that Christians there were being persecuted, which the African nation's government denies.
The US had struck what it said were Islamist bases in northwestern Nigeria on Christmas Day last year, following Trump's accusations.
“They were going to do it earlier,” Trump told Politico in an interview at the time. “And I said, ‘Nope, let’s give a Christmas present.’ … They didn’t think that was coming, but we hit them hard. Every camp got decimated.”
Shortly following the strike, Trump made a social media post announcing that the operation had been successful, in which he wished "MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists."
Following the Christmas strikes last year, the US has reportedly sent small teams of troops to Nigeria on multiple occasions in pursuit of ISIS targets.
Goldie Katz contributed to this report.