Troops of Operation Hadin Kai and U.S. Africa Command have killed a senior Islamic State leader in a coordinated air and ground operation in Metele, Borno State.

Lt.-Col. Sani Uba, spokesman for OPHK, said the operation neutralized Abu Bilal al-Muniki and several of his lieutenants in the early hours of May 16, 2026.

The mission ran from about 12:01 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. It began with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance that located a fortified enclave in the Lake Chad Basin.

Precision airstrikes hit the stronghold first to destroy defenses and target high-value individuals inside.

Special forces were deployed simultaneously to block escape routes and secure the area, creating an air-land pincer movement.

The military said there were no casualties or equipment losses on the side of friendly forces. Battle damage assessment and follow-up clearance operations are ongoing.

The killing is described as a major blow to ISWAP’s command structure in the North-East.

Some confusion surrounds the commander’s identity. The military initially named him Abu Bilal al-Muniki, who was previously reported killed in 2024. U.S. sanctions documents list the individual as Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Mainuki, with “Abu Bilal al-Minuki” as an alias.

Experts say variations in transliteration often lead to multiple spellings for the same target.

The individual was designated a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the U.S. in June 2023 and is accused of coordinating funding and operations for extremist networks across the Sahel and Lake Chad region.

Operation Hadin Kai said the strike degrades ISWAP’s operational capacity, even as identity records are being reconciled across intelligence databases.