Sheikh Gumi says the US killing of ISIS leader Al‑Minuki fulfills a religious obligation.

Islamic cleric Ahmad Gumi reacted to the death of Abu‑Bilal al‑Minuki, identified as the second‑in‑command of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which was carried out by U.S. forces in cooperation with the Nigerian military.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, Gumi said that fighting terrorism is a religious duty, but he condemned 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 comments followed an announcement by former President Donald Trump that U.S. forces and the Nigerian Armed Forces had conducted a joint operation that resulted in the killing of al‑Minuki in Africa.

In a statement shared on his Truth Social account on Saturday, Trump said the operation was the outcome of extensive intelligence gathering and strategic coordination aimed at tracking the ISIS leader’s activities on the continent.

According to the U.S. president, al‑Minuki was one of the most active ISIS figures and had coordinated attacks and supported terrorist operations against Americans and African communities.

Trump said the operation would significantly weaken ISIS activities worldwide and reduce the group’s influence in Africa.

He also praised the Nigerian government and military authorities for their cooperation during the mission.