Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, has reacted to the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, identified as the second-in-command of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, ISIS, worldwide, by American forces in collaboration with the Nigerian military.
Gumi, in a Facebook post on Saturday, said combating terrorism was a religious duty but condemned the involvement of those he described as having “hands stained with the blood of innocent men, women, and children.”
“It’s a religious obligation to annihilate terrorists, but not with Beelzebub and hands stained with the blood of innocent men, women, and children,” he wrote.
The cleric’s reaction followed an announcement by Donald Trump that US forces and the Nigerian Armed Forces carried out a joint military operation that led to the killing of al-Minuki in Africa.
In a statement shared on his Truth Social account on Saturday, Trump said the operation was the result of extensive intelligence gathering and strategic coordination aimed at tracking the ISIS leader’s activities on the continent.
According to the US president, Al-Minuki was among the most active ISIS figures and was involved in coordinating attacks and supporting terrorist operations against Americans and African communities.
Trump stated that the operation would significantly weaken ISIS activities globally and reduce the group’s influence in Africa.
He also commended the Nigerian government and military authorities for their cooperation during the mission.
