Islamic State leader in Iraq and Syria killed, US says
Iraqi Prime Minister said a senior ISIS leader in Iraq and Syria killed him along with U.S.-led joint forces in an operation by Iraq’s national intelligence service.
Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifa, also known as Abu Khadija, is “considered as one of the most dangerous terrorists in Iraq and the world”, according to Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.
“He was ruthlessly hunted by our fearless warriors,” said U.S. President Donald Trump.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) posted a video on X that appeared to be a strike and said it was in the Al Anbar province in western Iraq.
Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifa is head of the IS’s top decision-making body and is responsible for global operations, logistics and planning, the U.S. Central Command said.
Centcom added that he also directed most of the finances for the group’s global organization.
President Trump posted on his Truth Society Platform that he said: “His miserable life is coordinated with another member of ISIS with the Iraqi government and the Kurdish regional government. Peace through strength!”
Centcom said Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifa was found dead with another person.
It added: “Both terrorists were wearing unexploded ‘suicide vests’ and possessed multiple weapons.”
It added that Centcom and Iraqi forces were able to identify him by DNA matching from DNA collected from previous raids.
General Michael Erik Kurilla said: “Abu Khadijah is one of the members of the entire world.
“We will continue to kill terrorists and demolish organizations that threaten our hometown and us, allies and partners and beyond.”
It once stretched to 88,000 square kilometers (34,000 square miles) of territory in northeastern Syria in northern Iraq and imposed cruel rule on nearly 8 million people.
Iraq announced its defeat to IS in December 2017, and the organization was deported on its last piece of territory in 2019.
However, militants and sleeper cells continue to be present throughout the country and carry out sporadic attacks on Iraqi troops and police.
