In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump said the operation targeted Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, whom he identified as the second-in-command of Daesh globally. Trump said the mission was conducted jointly with Nigerian forces following intelligence tracking the militant’s activities across Africa.

“Brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission,” Trump said, adding that Al-Minuki “will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans.”Trump did not specify where the operation occurred or whether it involved airstrikes, ground forces or drone attacks.

Nigerian authorities had not immediately issued a public statement detailing the mission.The United States sanctioned Al-Minuki in 2023, identifying him as a senior Daesh figure based in the Sahel region and part of the organization’s General Directorate of Provinces, the administrative structure responsible for coordinating operations and financing across multiple regions.

According to the US State Department, Al-Minuki played a role in providing operational guidance and funding support for Daesh affiliates operating in Africa and beyond.Nigeria has faced escalating militant violence from regional branches linked to Daesh as well as rival Islamist group Boko Haram.

Nigerian security forces have also been engaged in operations against heavily armed criminal gangs known locally as “bandits.”Washington has increased military cooperation with Nigeria since late 2025 amid growing US concerns about the expansion of Islamist insurgencies across West Africa and the Sahel.

On Christmas Day last year, US and Nigerian forces conducted joint airstrikes in Sokoto State targeting fighters from the Islamic State in the Sahel Province, a Daesh affiliate active across parts of Niger and northwestern Nigeria.

Since then, hundreds of US personnel have reportedly been deployed to Nigeria to assist with intelligence sharing, military training and counterterrorism coordination.

Trump thanked the Nigerian government for what he described as its “partnership” in the latest operation, saying the removal of Al-Minuki had significantly weakened Daesh’s international network.

Mali’s ruling military junta said its forces were battling what it described as “terrorist groups” that launched surprise dawn assaults on military positions around Bamako and in several regional cities, while authorities insisted the situation was under control.

Helicopters circled over the capital and around Bamako’s international airport as fighting was reported near the Kati military base, a strategic garrison town where junta leader General Assimi Goïta resides.

JNIM, an armed group linked to Al-Qaeda, said the attacks were carried out jointly with the FLA, a coalition of Tuareg separatist rebels active in northern Mali.“Together, we are carrying out a veritable transformation, in the service of religion, of the country and of the people,” the group said in a statement.

JNIM claimed its fighters targeted the residences of Goïta and Defense Minister General Sadio Camara, as well as Bamako international airport and other military installations.Witnesses reported intense clashes in Kati and other urban centers, while online footage showed armed militants moving through streets in contested areas.

The FLA separately said it had seized control of Kidal, a key northern city long regarded as a symbolic stronghold of Tuareg separatist movements.“Our FLA troops control Kidal, most of Kidal,” FLA spokesman Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane told AFP, adding that the regional governor had taken refuge at the former camp of the United Nations peacekeeping mission MINUSMA.

The Malian army said “terrorist groups” had attacked “certain points and barracks in the capital and the interior” early Saturday, but later stated that 16 civilians and soldiers were injured and that only limited material damage had been recorded.“The situation is fully under control in all the localities targeted,” the junta said.

Analysts said the scale and coordination of the attacks marked a serious escalation.“We’re looking at a major coordinated offensive across the country on a level unseen since 2012 when the government lost half the country,” said Charlie Werb of Aldebaran Threat Consultants.

Fighting was also reported in Gao and Kidal in the north and in the central city of Sevare, highlighting the geographic spread of the offensive.Russia’s Foreign Ministry said around 250 fighters had attacked Bamako airport and a nearby military base, adding that the assault had been repelled.“The Russian side expresses deep concern over the unfolding events,” the ministry said on Telegram.

Russian military support has become central to Mali’s security strategy since the junta severed defense ties with former colonial power France and strengthened cooperation with Moscow. Russia’s Africa Corps, operating under the Russian defense ministry, replaced the Wagner mercenary group in supporting Malian forces.

Since 2012, Mali has faced a prolonged insurgency involving jihadist groups, criminal networks and separatist movements. The military leadership, which seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, justified its takeover partly on promises to restore security, but attacks have continued across the country.

Thousands have been killed and tens of thousands displaced by the violence, with many fleeing to neighboring states.African Union Commission Chair Mahmoud Ali Youssouf condemned the attacks, warning that the renewed violence risked exposing civilians to significant harm.

The whereabouts of Goïta were not immediately clear, while speculation also surrounded Camara after residents reported that a powerful explosion had heavily damaged his residence in Kati. His entourage later said he was safe.

The streets of Bamako remained largely deserted into the evening as security forces maintained a heavy presence and sporadic gunfire continued in parts of the city.