A U.S. airstrike in western Iraq on Thursday killed the ISIS’ chief of world operations who additionally served as ISIS’ second in command, Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifai, also referred to as “Abu Khadijah,” together with one different ISIS operative, U.S. officers confirmed.
On Thursday, U.S. Central Command forces, in cooperation with Iraqi Intelligence and Safety Forces, carried out a precision airstrike in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, that killed Abu Khadijah, in keeping with an announcement from CENTCOM.
“Because the Emir of ISIS’ most senior decision-making physique, Abu Khadijah maintained duty for operations, logistics, and planning carried out by ISIS globally, and directs a good portion of finance for the group’s world group,” officers mentioned.
FILE PHOTO: The Pentagon constructing is seen in Arlington, Virginia, U.S. October 9, 2020. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Picture
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After the strike, CENTCOM and Iraqi forces moved to the strike website and located the 2 useless our bodies, each of whom had been carrying unexploded “suicide vests” and had a number of weapons, CENTCOM mentioned.
CENTCOM and Iraqi forces had been in a position to determine Abu Khadijah by means of a DNA match from DNA collected on a earlier raid the place Abu Khadijah narrowly escaped, officers confirmed.
“Abu Khadijah was one of the necessary ISIS members in the complete world ISIS group. We’ll proceed to kill terrorists and dismantle their organizations that threaten our homeland and U.S., allied and companion personnel within the area and past,” mentioned Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, commander, U.S. Central Command.”
