Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has reacted to the reported killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, identified as the second-in-command of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) globally, by American forces working alongside the Nigerian military.
Gumi, in a Facebook post on Saturday, said fighting terrorism was a religious obligation, but criticised the involvement of individuals he claimed had “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 comment followed an announcement by former United States President Donald Trump that US forces, in collaboration with the Nigerian Armed Forces, carried out a joint military operation in Africa that resulted in the killing of al-Minuki.
Trump, in a statement posted on his Truth Social account on Saturday, said the operation followed extensive intelligence gathering and strategic coordination aimed at tracking the activities of the ISIS leader on the continent.
According to him, al-Minuki was among the most active ISIS figures and was allegedly involved in coordinating attacks and supporting terrorist operations against Americans and African communities.
The former US president 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.
