The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has confirmed the death of one of its senior commanders, Abu Bilal al-Mainuki, following a joint counterterrorism operation carried out by Nigerian and United States special forces in the Lake Chad region of North-East Nigeria.
Al-Mainuki was reportedly killed during the operation conducted earlier this month by Nigerian troops in collaboration with US forces.
On May 16, United States President Donald Trump and President Bola Tinubu publicly confirmed the death of the militant commander, describing him as one of the world’s most dangerous terrorists.
Trump claimed the slain insurgent was the second-in-command of the Islamic State globally and said he had attempted to evade capture by hiding in Africa.
In a statement circulated through its media channels and sighted on Thursday, ISWAP acknowledged the killing of Al-Mainuki and several other members during the operation, describing them as “martyrs.”
The terrorist group alleged that the United States deployed extensive military resources, including drones, to monitor the commander for about six months before launching the operation.
“And ponder, O servants of Allah, what prompted crusader America to cross all these distances all the way to these forests,” the statement read.
“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.”
ISWAP claimed the raid involved heavy gunfire and large military deployments targeted at apprehending Al-Mainuki.
The group also admitted that one of its media headquarters located within the forest was directly attacked 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 insurgents praised members of their media unit who were killed during the raid, claiming they fought until death and refused to surrender.
“They neither surrendered to their enemy nor compromised their religion,” the statement said.
ISWAP further described the slain operatives as devoted members of the group who played key propaganda and media roles within the organisation.
The statement also attempted to glorify the activities of the media team, claiming they worked tirelessly under difficult conditions in support of the insurgent group’s operations.
The latest development comes amid intensified military offensives against terrorist groups operating in the North-East and the Lake Chad region, with Nigerian forces receiving increased intelligence and operational support from international allies.