The United States Secretary of Defence, Pete Hegseth, has said Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, identified as the second-in-command of ISIS, was largely responsible for attacks targeting Christians in Nigeria.

Al-Minuki was reportedly killed on May 15 during a joint military operation carried out by US and Nigerian forces in the Lake Chad Basin.

Speaking during a cabinet meeting at the White House on Wednesday, Hegseth said the operation formed part of ongoing US efforts to combat ISIS activities in Nigeria and protect persecuted Christians.

Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines

According to him, President Donald Trump had directed the US military to prioritise the protection of Christians facing violent attacks in Nigeria.

"Maybe a year ago, the President heard the concerns 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.'

"Over the past month -- and there hasn't been much coverage of this -- we killed ISIS' number two commander, who was most responsible for killing Christians and attempting to target the US homeland," he added.

US military operations targeting Islamist extremists in Nigeria reportedly intensified late last year following allegations of widespread attacks against Christian communities.

President Bola Tinubu had earlier confirmed the death of Al-Minuki, disclosing that several of his lieutenants were also eliminated during the operation.

Hegseth further stated that intelligence gathered since the commencement of US operations against ISIS elements in Nigeria had resulted in the elimination of hundreds of suspected fighters allegedly linked to attacks on Christians.

He added that President Trump remained committed to efforts aimed at protecting vulnerable Christian communities in Nigeria.