No foreign soldiers involved in operation that killed Al-Minuki —DHQ

The Defence Headquarters says that no foreign troops took part in the operation that eliminated terrorist commander Abu Bilal Al-Minuki, stating that the mission was carried out solely by Nigerian forces with external intelligence support.

Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Michael Onoja, made this known during a monitored television programme, where he provided details on the operation.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Sunday, Onoja explained that the United States and other partners only provided intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support, along with other operational enablers.

“There were no foreign boots on the ground during this operation. What we received were intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance support and other force enablers,” he said.

He described the mission as a precision strike against a high-value terrorist target, carried out with a high level of professionalism and coordination by Nigerian troops.

Onoja said the operation was successful without any casualties on the side of the Nigerian military.

“We are happy to state that due to our troops’ professionalism, there was no loss of life on our side,” he added.

He further explained that the operation was based on detailed intelligence gathering and careful operational planning, which led troops to the target’s location after months of surveillance.

According to him, earlier reports claiming the death of Al-Minuki in 2024 were incorrect and based on mistaken identity. He noted that the individual killed was the authentic Abu Bilal Al-Minuki, who had reportedly operated under multiple aliases to evade detection.