US forces kill top ISIS leader who 'orchestrated kidnap and massacre of hundreds of Christians' in daring 1am gunfight

By CAROLINE GRAHAM, US EDITOR THE MAIL ON SUNDAY Published: 00:59, 17 May 2026 | Updated: 01:12, 17 May 2026 One of the world's most wanted terrorists was executed in a dramatic early morning raid yesterday in a joint US and Nigerian military operation. Donald Trump hailed the killing of Isis mastermind Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, who was accused of orchestrating the massacre and kidnapping of hundreds of Christians inside the west African country, as a success. He said on social media: '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.' US Special Forces units remained on the ground last night in Lake Chad, north-eastern Nigeria, where al-Minuki was killed along with several of his senior commanders during the 1am raid. US officials said Special Forces and Nigerian commandos launched a helicopter assault and ended up in a gunfight with around three dozen Isis fighters hiding on two small islands in Lake Chad. Air strikes were ordered to ensure all of the terrorists had been killed. Footage released by the US Africa Command showed aircraft targeting the ground around a concrete compound before a massive explosion destroyed the hideout. US President Donald Trump hailed the joint US and Nigerian military operation as a success Nigerian forces worked with American troops to locate and kill Abu-Bilal al-Minuki. Pictured above is a Nigerian Security Forces vehicle in 2022 For years, al-Minuki has been one of the most hunted men on the planet. A spokesman for the US Africa Command said he 'provided strategic guidance to the Isis global network on media and financial operations as well as the development and manufacturing of weapons, explosives and drones.' A statement from Nigeria's army said the raid began at 1am local time yesterday and ended three hours later. It added: 'The operation involved several air platforms in a synchronised air-land configuration that left the terrorists with no avenue of escape.' The force said that troops on the ground 'are currently conducting aggressive follow-on operations to decimate identified splinter cells and prevent any attempt at reconstitution'. America's Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said: 'Back in November 2025, President Trump declared to the world that we will help protect Christians in Nigeria and instructed the Department of War to prepare for action. So, for months, we hunted this top Isis leader in Nigeria who was killing Christians and we killed him – and his entire posse.' The president of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, called the raid 'a daring joint operation that dealt a heavy blow to the ranks of the Islamic State.' Christianity and Islam are the two main religions practised in Nigeria. It is Africa's most populous nation and home to an estimated 237million people. Religiously motivated attacks have escalated in recent years. Last November, 25 girls were kidnapped from a Christian secondary school in the state of Kebbi and the vice-principal was murdered. Later that month, 300 pupils and staff were kidnapped from a nearby Catholic school. In April, Isis claimed responsibility after gunmen killed at least 29 people on a football pitch in Adamawa state. The US is still hunting Isis leader Abdul Qadir Mumin, who is believed to be hiding in Somalia. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.