US and Nigeria kill senior ISIS commander in joint raid

The United States and Nigeria conducted a joint military operation in mid-May that resulted in the death of a senior leader of the Islamic State group, according to statements from officials in both countries. The operation, which targeted a compound in the Lake Chad Basin region, eliminated Abu Bilal Al-Minuki, described by U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth as the ISIS commander most responsible for killing Christians in Nigeria.

The disclosure was made by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a congressional hearing on the State Department's budget request. Rubio stated that the operation, carried out a couple of weeks prior, took out the number two leader of global ISIS, who was operating from inside Nigeria. He emphasized that the U.S. is now actively engaged in counterterrorism cooperation with the Nigerian government and its security forces, a partnership he said was strengthened by widespread concerns over violence affecting Christian communities.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu confirmed the killing, noting that several of Al-Minuki's lieutenants were also neutralized during the operation. Tinubu expressed his anticipation for more successful strikes against...