Nigerian Troops, US Forces Neutralise ISIS Global Deputy, Other Terror Commanders in Metele

Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), in collaboration with the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), have neutralised Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, described as the Islamic State’s second-in-command globally and the most senior ISWAP commander operating within the Lake Chad Basin and Sahel region.
The landmark counter-terrorism operation, conducted in Metele, Borno State, also led to the elimination of several top lieutenants and multiple fighters linked to the terror network.

A statement issued by Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Media Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, disclosed that the precision air-land operation commenced at about 12:01 a.m. and ended around 4:00 a.m. on Saturday, 16 May 2026.
According to the statement, the operation followed an extensive joint intelligence effort involving sustained reconnaissance, legal intercepts, and detailed target development, which confirmed that Al-Minuki and his international terrorist cell had established a concealed and fortified enclave in Metele within Sector 3 of OPHK operations.

Al-Minuki, also known as Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Ali al-Mainuki, had been designated a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) by the United States Department of State on 8 June 2023 under Executive Order 13224.
He was identified as a leading figure within ISIS’s General Directorate of Provinces, through which he reportedly coordinated international funding and operational directives to terror cells operating across the Sahel and the Lake Chad Islands in Northern Borno.

Military authorities described his elimination as the most significant counter-terrorism breakthrough recorded in the North-East theatre since the establishment of Operation HADIN KAI.
The statement explained that US partners, working in conjunction with OPHK, carried out coordinated precision air and ground strikes on the confirmed terrorist location, while Special Forces units secured the perimeter, blocked escape routes, and remained on standby for emergency extraction operations.

The operation reportedly involved multiple air platforms deployed in a synchronised air-land assault that denied the terrorists any opportunity to escape.
It added that the mission was executed following authorisation from the Military High Command, reflecting what it described as a high level of institutional coordination and strategic planning.
The military further confirmed that the operation recorded zero casualties or loss of assets among the allied forces, attributing the success to meticulous planning, tactical precision, and growing cooperation between Nigerian and US military forces in the fight against terrorism.

Battle Damage Assessment is currently ongoing, while troops have intensified follow-on exploitation operations aimed at dismantling identified splinter cells and preventing any regrouping by the terrorists.
The statement also noted that the President of the United States, Donald Trump, acknowledged the success of the mission and commended the partnership between the Armed Forces of Nigeria and the United States military.
Operation HADIN KAI stated that the operation reaffirmed its commitment to denying terrorist groups any sanctuary within the North-East theatre and sustaining pressure against insurgent networks across the region.