by Caroline Graham, Mail on Sunday
One of the world’s most wanted terrorists was executed in a dramatic early morning raid yesterday in a joint US and Nigerian military operation.
Donald Trump hailed the killing of Isis mastermind Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, who was accused of orchestrating the massacre and kidnapping of hundreds of Christians inside the west African country, as a success.
He said on social media: ‘Brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission to eliminate the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield.
‘Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of Isis globally, thought he could hide in Africa but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing.’
US Special Forces units remained on the ground last night in Lake Chad, north-eastern Nigeria, where al-Minuki was killed along with several of his senior commanders during the 1am raid.
US officials said Special Forces and Nigerian commandos launched a helicopter assault and ended up in a gunfight with around three dozen Isis fighters hiding on two small islands in Lake Chad.
Air strikes were ordered to ensure all of the terrorists had been killed.
Footage released by the US Africa Command showed aircraft targeting the ground around a concrete compound before a massive explosion destroyed the hideout.