U.S. President Donald Trump announced Friday that a senior leader of Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, was killed during a joint operation carried out by American and Nigerian forces.

According to Trump, Abu-Bilal al-Minuki — described as the group’s global second-in-command — was targeted in what he called a “meticulously planned and very complex mission.”

“Brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed” the operation, Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

Trump claimed al-Minuki believed he could evade capture by operating in Nigeria and other parts of Africa, but said U.S. intelligence sources tracked his movements.

The president also thanked the Nigerian government for cooperating in the operation, though he did not provide details about where or when the mission took place.

Al-Minuki had been under U.S. sanctions since 2023 because of his alleged links to ISIS.

At the time of the sanctions announcement, the United States Department of State described him as a senior ISIS figure based in the Sahel region and connected to the group’s General Directorate of Provinces, an administrative structure responsible for providing operational guidance and financial support to ISIS affiliates worldwide.

“With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished,” Trump said.