US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has said that Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, described as the second-in-command of ISIS, was chiefly responsible for the killing of Christians in Nigeria.

Al-Minuki was killed on May 15 during a joint military operation conducted by US and Nigerian forces targeting his compound in the Lake Chad Basin region.

Speaking during a cabinet meeting at the White House on Wednesday, Hegseth said the US military campaign against ISIS-linked militants in Nigeria aligns with President Donald Trump’s directive to protect persecuted Christians.

According to Hegseth, US military operations against Islamist extremists in Nigeria intensified late last year following reports alleging widespread attacks against Christian communities.

“Maybe a year ago, the president heard the call of Nigerian Christians who were being targeted and killed by ISIS,” Hegseth said, according to a Pentagon report. “And he said, ‘Pete, I want the War Department to focus on ensuring that we do everything we can to protect those Christians.’”

Hegseth added that recent operations led to the elimination of ISIS’s “No. 2 commander,” whom he described as “most responsible for killing Christians and trying to target the US homeland.”

President Bola Tinubu, who confirmed Al-Minuki’s death, said several of the ISIS commander’s lieutenants were also killed during the operation.

The US defense secretary further stated that intelligence gathered since the start of the joint operations had contributed to the killing of hundreds of ISIS fighters allegedly involved in attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria.

Hegseth said President Trump remains committed to efforts aimed at protecting Christians facing persecution in Nigeria.