U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) has released dramatic footage documenting the joint U.S.-Nigeria military raid that killed ISIS global deputy Abu-Bilal al-Minuki. The declassified video captures the high-impact airstrike on a fortified compound in northeastern Nigeria, highlighting a major breakthrough in the ongoing war against regional and global terrorist groups.
According to an AFRICOM statement released on Saturday, the mission was authorized by the U.S. President and the Secretary of Defense, executed in close coordination with the Nigerian Government.
Initial battle damage assessments indicate that several high-level terrorists were neutralized alongside the commander during the strike.
According to the command, the strike hit a heavily fortified ISIS enclave in northeastern Nigeria. The mission forms part of an aggressive, ongoing joint counterterrorism campaign to secure the volatile Lake Chad Basin region.
“At the direction of the President of the United States and the Secretary of War, and in coordination with the Government of Nigeria, U.S. Africa Command conducted an operation against ISIS in Northeastern Nigeria on May 16, 2026.”
“The command’s initial assessment is that multiple terrorists, to include Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, the director of global operations for ISIS, as well as other senior ISIS leaders, were killed during this operation. No U.S. service members were harmed.
“This operation underscores the exceptional value of the U.S.-Nigeria partnership and was made possible through the cooperation and coordination of our forces in recent months. Make no mistake, our two nations will relentlessly pursue and neutralize terrorist threats and are committed to protecting our people and interests.”
Intelligence reports indicate that Al-Minuki provided critical strategic guidance to the ISIS global network, overseeing media strategies, financial networks, and the development of specialized weaponry, explosives, and drone technologies.
However, this was regarded by intelligence analysts as one of the world’s most active and dangerous operatives, he had a notorious history of orchestrating high-profile terror attacks and directing international hostage-taking syndicates.
