US President Donald Trump said Friday that American and Nigerian forces had killed a senior Islamic State group leader.
"Tonight, at my direction, 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," Trump said on Truth Social.
"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."
In December, the US launched a military strike in Nigeria against Islamic State targets in a security and intelligence collaboration with the African nation's government.
Follow Live Updates: US-Iran War Live News Updates: Israel Continues To Attack Lebanon Despite 45-Day Ceasefire Deal
Washington and Tehran announced a ceasefire last month but have been struggling to thrash out a lasting peace pact. Talks mediated by Pakistan have been suspended since Iran and the US each rejected the other's latest proposals last week.
Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, which normally handles about one-fifth of the world's seaborne oil and gas supply, to most shipping after the US and Israel began their war on Iran in February.
Israel and US have cut short two previous rounds of talks with Tehran in the past 13 months by launching campaigns of air strikes on Iran. The issues holding up negotiations between the two sides include Iran's nuclear ambitions and its control of the Strait of Hormuz.
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