Photo: screenshot of X account of US Central Command
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said on Friday that Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rufay'i, also known as Abu Khadija, was killed by Iraqi security forces, with the support of the US-led coalition fighting ISIL, Aljazeera reported.
US Central Command also posted on X, saying that CENTCOM Forces kill ISlS Chief of Global Operations who also served as ISIS #2, Chief of Global Operations and the Delegated Committee Emir - Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifai, alias "Abu Khadijah," and one other ISIS operative.
US President Donald Trump posted on social media on Friday that "today, the fugitive leader of ISIS in Iraq was killed. His miserable life was terminated, along with another member of ISIS, in coordination with the Iraqi Government and the Kurdish Regional Government."
Sudani hailed the killing as a major blow to ISIL remnants in Iraq, according to Aljazeera report.
"The Iraqis continue their impressive victories over the forces of darkness and terrorism," the Prime Minister wrote in a statement on X, adding that Abu Khadija was "one of the most dangerous terrorists in Iraq and the world."
In 2017, Iraq declared victory over ISIL by reclaiming all territories the armed group controlled since the summer of 2014, which was estimated to be about a third of the country's territory. But the group still maintains sleeper cells in large areas in Iraq and occasionally launches attacks, according to Aljazeera.
The Aljazeera report didn't mention details of specific time and location of the killing.
The US Central Command revealed that on March 13, US Central Command forces, in cooperation with Iraqi Intelligence and Security Forces, conducted a precision airstrike in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, that killed the Global ISIS No.2 leader, Chief of Global Operations and the Delegated Committee Emir - Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifai, alias "Abu Khadijah," and one other ISIS operative.
As the Emir of ISIS' most senior decision-making body, Abu Khadijah maintained responsibility for operations, logistics, and planning conducted by ISIS globally, and directs a significant portion of finance for the group's global organization.
After the strike, CENTCOM and Iraqi forces moved to the strike site and found both dead ISIS terrorists. Both terrorists were wearing unexploded "suicide vests" and had multiple weapons. CENTCOM and Iraqi forces were able to identify Abu Khadijah through a DNA match from DNA collected on a previous raid where Abu Khadijah narrowly escaped.
Global Times
