The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has officially confirmed the death of its senior commander, Abu Bilal al-Mainuki, following a joint military operation carried out by Nigerian and United States forces in the Lake Chad region.
The terrorist group, in a statement circulated through its media channels, admitted that Al-Mainuki and several other operatives were killed during the raid, which it claimed followed six months of surveillance by American drones.
The operation, which was earlier confirmed by President Bola Tinubu and United States President Donald Trump on May 16, targeted the insurgent leader described by US authorities as one of the world’s most dangerous terrorists.
Trump had stated that Al-Mainuki was among the top ISIS commanders globally and claimed the militant attempted to evade capture by hiding in Africa.
Reacting to the development, ISWAP accused the United States of deploying massive military assets and elite forces to hunt down a single commander in the forests of the Lake Chad region.
“And ponder, O servants of Allah, what prompted crusader America to cross all these distances all the way to these forests,” the group stated.
“They used all types of drones and carried out a massive multi-point landing with heavy gunfire, attempting to capture a single Muslim man in the jungles of Africa.”
The group claimed the operation involved coordinated aerial and ground assaults supported by heavy gunfire and advanced surveillance equipment.
ISWAP also disclosed that one of its media bases was destroyed during the operation.
“And what drives America to land its planes and the elite of its forces to attack a newly established media headquarters in the middle of the forests,” the statement added.
The terrorist organisation praised members of its media team killed during the raid, claiming they refused to surrender despite the assault.
“They neither surrendered to their enemy nor compromised their religion,” the statement read.
The group further described the slain operatives as dedicated members who played critical propaganda roles within the insurgent network.
In another section of the statement, ISWAP attempted to glorify the activities of its media personnel, claiming they worked under difficult conditions to support the group’s operations.
The confirmation of Al-Mainuki’s death is seen as a major blow to ISWAP’s leadership structure as Nigerian troops continue intensified operations against terrorist groups across the North-East.
Security analysts believe the operation reflects growing intelligence-sharing and operational cooperation between Nigeria and international allies in the fight against insurgency in the Lake Chad region.
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