A top Islamic State (IS) leader in Iraq and Syria has been eliminated in an operation conducted jointly by Iraqi national intelligence and US-led coalition forces, announced Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. The deceased, Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifa, also known as Abu Khadija, was regarded as one of the most perilous terrorists in Iraq and globally. US President Donald Trump stated, “He was tirelessly pursued by our valiant soldiers.” The US Central Command (Centcom) posted what appears to be a video of the strike on X, which occurred in Iraq’s Al Anbar province on Thursday. According to Centcom, al-Rifa was the chief of IS’s premier decision-making body, overseeing global operations, logistics, and planning, as well as managing the group’s international finances. Trump declared on Truth Social, “His wretched life was ended, alongside another member of ISIS, in collaboration with the Iraqi Government and the Kurdish Regional Government. PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH!” Centcom confirmed that al-Rifa and another IS operative were found dead, both equipped with unexploded ‘suicide vests’ and carrying arms. Identification was achieved through a DNA match from a previous raid where al-Rifa narrowly escaped. General Michael Erik Kurilla stated, “Abu Khadijah was one of the most significant members of the global IS organisation.” The struggle continues to neutralize terrorists and disassemble their organizations threatening national security and US, allied, and partner forces both regionally and beyond. IS formerly controlled an expansive 88,000 sqkm territory across northeastern Syria and northern Iraq, subjecting nearly eight million people to its harsh rule. Although IS was proclaimed defeated in Iraq in December 2017 and driven from its final territorial stronghold in 2019, militants and sleeper cells remain, periodically launching attacks against the Iraqi military and police.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9q451y218go