By Our Correspondent

National News – President Bola Tinubu has confirmed the killing of a senior Islamic State leader, Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, also known as Abu-Mainok, during a joint military operation involving Nigerian and United States forces in the Lake Chad Basin.

The announcement was made on Saturday in a statement personally signed by the Nigerian leader, who described the operation as a major breakthrough in the fight against terrorism across the North-East region.

According to Tinubu, the coordinated strike targeted the compound of the wanted ISIS commander in the Lake Chad area, leading to the death of Al-Manuki and several of his top lieutenants.

The President said the operation highlighted the growing security partnership between Nigeria and the United States in tackling extremist groups threatening regional peace and stability.

Tinubu praised the professionalism and bravery of the Nigerian Armed Forces and the US military personnel involved in the mission.

He also thanked United States President Donald Trump for supporting the counter-terrorism operation and strengthening bilateral security cooperation between both nations.

The US President had earlier described Al-Manuki as one of the world’s most dangerous terrorists and claimed the militant leader served as the second-in-command of ISIS globally.

Trump stated that intelligence sources tracked the terrorist’s activities in Africa before the successful military strike was launched.

The development comes amid intensified military offensives against insurgent groups operating within the Lake Chad Basin and other parts of Nigeria’s North-East.

Security analysts believe the operation could weaken ISIS-linked networks responsible for attacks on civilians and military formations in the region.

The Nigerian government has repeatedly pledged to sustain military operations aimed at dismantling terrorist enclaves and restoring peace to affected communities.